be seen by an eye of sense through Faith he kept the Passover and sprinkling of Blood lest he that destroyed the first born should touch them by Faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry 〈…〉 Christ under the Mosaical Law is wholly ascribed unto Faith and that it was Spiritual meat and drink and the very same meat and drink that Believers do live upon spiritually now under the dispensation of the Gospel hence you may observe that Christ was as much materially and corporeally eaten and drank before ever he had assumed humane nature or had a real material body to eat and blood to drink as ever he has been at any time since that he hath taken humane nature upon him for if Christ be really Transubstantiated into his very person consisting of Body Soul and Divinity and so eaten now under the Gospel since he had a Body why then it will necessarily and consequentially follow that Christ was corporeally and substantially eaten in Body Soul and Divinity before ever he had a Body to be eaten for you see it clearly proved from the Apostle's words that the believing Israelites did eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink then as true Believers do now under the Gospel for the Text saith plainly that they did all eat of the same spiritual meat and did all drink of the same spiritual drink for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ The Children of Israel might as well have Transubstantiated a Rock into the real Body and Blood of Christ and so eaten and dranken that instead of Christ or for Christ which is to eat Stones instead of the Bread of Life as for you to imagine or pretend to eat and drink Christ corporeally and personally in the Sacrament of the Eucharist For I will assure ye that there is as good Reason and as clear a Warrant and Authority either from Scripture or Reason to believe the one as there is to believe the other for our Saviour Christ was spiritual meat and spiritual drink under the Mosaical Law and he is the same and no other now under the Gospel Their feeding upon Christ and injoying communion and fellowship with Christ under the Law was Spiritual and by Faith why even so it is the same and no more nor no less now nor in all foregoing Ages under the Gospel Christ is to be received and eaten by Faith and in spiritual love also now as he was then of which I shall give you a farther proof by and by Again thirdly Pray Sir observe strictly what the same Apostle saith in 1 Cor. 10.20 21. But I say the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to Devils and not to God. I would not that ye should have fellowship with Devils Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of Devils ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's Table and of the Table of Devils The Apostle spoke this cautionarily by way of reproof to some persons perhaps in that day that might be somewhat guilty thereof because he 〈…〉 told them of Thessalonica that the mystery of iniquity did begin to work in that day 2 Thess 2. 〈◊〉 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work Tâ—â— Man of Sin Antichrist was a beginning to creâ—â— into the Church the Temple of God even theâ—â— as you may see in Verse 3 4. And also the Apostle by a Prophetick Spirit did speak concerning some that would pretend to be Christians that would thus horribly profane the Sacrament of the Lord Supper which is there called the Cup of the Lord and the Table of the Lord and that by making 〈◊〉 Sacrifice of that holy Ordinance which was instituted principally to remember the great Sacrifiâ—â— that was offered up for Sin namely the Lord Jesâ—â— Christ who was offered up once for all a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God. And it is the eâ—press command of Christ viz. Do this in remembrance of me Now these Gentiles here which the Apostle doâ—â— arraign as guilty that do thus profane the Cup 〈◊〉 the Lord and the Table of the Lord couâ—â— not be meant of the Heathen Idolatrous Gentilâ—â— which never professed nor owned the name 〈◊〉 Christ and therefore they never made use of thâ— Ordinance but this was Prophesied of Idolatroâ—â— Gentiles pretended Christians that do own tâ—â— Ordinance tho not in A Right manner for thâ—â— make a Sacrifice of it And they do also own 〈◊〉 name of Christ in words tho in works of meâ—â— and by works of supererogation they deny hiâ—â— Secondly Neither could this be spoken of tâ—â— Jews which do offer Sacrifices because the Apoâ—â—â— saith they were Gentiles that should come into 〈◊〉 Church or Temple of God and offer up this kiâ—â—â— of Sacrifice upon the Table of the Lord whiâ—â— they make an Altar of which Error of sacrificiâ—â— or Mystery of Iniquity might be part of tâ—â— which began to work in the Apostles days whâ—â— were a forerunner of Antichrist the Man of Sâ—â—â— for the Passover and all the Sacrifices under 〈◊〉 Mosaical Law were all but Types and Shadows 〈◊〉 Christ's coming in the Flesh and dying in the Fâ—â— for sinners they were all but signs and figureâ— remember Christ by and Christ was spiritually 〈◊〉 joyed under them and eaten and dranken in tâ—â— by Faith as the Apostle asserts which has been 〈◊〉 ready proved 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. Why 〈◊〉 so the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was iâ—â—â—tuted by our Saviour Christ the Night in whic◠〈◊〉 was betrayed to keep up a holy thankful remembrance of Christ's being come in the flesh and â—â—ing in the flesh in the room of poor fallen 〈◊〉 that lay polluted in his Blood in sin and miâ—â—â— out in the open field and none to pity nor 〈◊〉 him neither was he capable to help himself 〈◊〉 that which was worst of all he did not nor 〈◊〉 not desire any help Ezek. 16.3 4 5 6. Th◠〈◊〉 â—eas an Amorite and thy mother an Hittite And as for â—hy nativity in the day thou wast born thy navel was not â—ut neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee â—hou wast not salted at all nor swadled at all This is Man in a natural lapsed state and condition None â—e pitted thee to do any of these unto thee to have compassion upon thee but thou wast cast into the open field 〈◊〉 the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast â—â—rn And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted 〈◊〉 thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy â—â—ood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in â—â—â—y blood Live. This was the case and condition of â—ankind after the fall and is of every particular individual person before the work of Regeneration â—â—sseth upon his Soul by the mighty powerful â—â—eration of the Holy Ghost out of which state â—â—d condition there was no Redemption but by
Ages from Adam to the end of the World are the purchase of Christ Acts 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock over the which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Job 19.25 For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth This was spoken about One thousand six hundred years befor ever Christ was born or took flesh upon him Thus you see that Christ is the only Sacrifice that is sufficient and propitiatory for the sins of all true Believers both under the Law and under the Gospel for they are all of them purchased at the price of his precious Blood alone And none else beside him is the Sacrifice for sin and his Blood is the only Purgatory for sinners and no other for we are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Now dear Sir Pray be pleased to take the Candle of the Lord and look about all Christendom and see and consider well with your self who there be and what Sect or sort of persons are there to be found among them that are called Christians or do but own the name of Christ that do make a Sacrifice of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper and they are the persons that are here intended by the Holy Apostle who spake as he was moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost for he could see by the Infallible Spirit of God even in that day That a certain Sect or sort of people would come up upon the Stage of Christendom or into the Temple of God that would forbid Marriage to pretended Religious Orders of Men and Women tho the Holy Scripture saith plainly and literally that it is better to Marry than to Burn. And the same Apostle saw by the same Spirit That the same sort of people that forbid Marriage would further reject the Scripture by commanding all persons whatsoever to abstain from Flesh The Apostle had an Expres◠sent him from 〈…〉 tidings 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. But the Apostle tells us we may eat whatsoever is sold in the Shambles to wit Butchers meat asking no questions for Conscience sake And the Apostle did see by the same Infallible Spirit clearly and spontaneously that a sort of Idolatrous Gentiles which are only nominal Christians would come into the Church or Temple of God that would make a Sacrifice of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper in that Scripture which I quoted before to wit 1 Cor. 10.20 21. But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice unto devils and not unto God and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of Devils ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's Table and of the Table of Devils Now Sir the Protestants do not make a Sacrifice of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper they do not look upon the Elements of Bread and Wine to be Transubstantiated into the real person of Christ namely of Body Soul and Divinity after their Blessing or Consecrating of them and so offer him up as a Sacrifice as you of the Roman Community do own and pretend to believe and that the Elements are miraculously turned into the real substantial Body of Christ viz. Body Soul and Divinity and then offer him up as a Sacrifice sufficient and propitiatory for the sins of the living and the dead But here will appear two Sacrifices you will see by and by in this one The Apostle saith that it is a Sacrificing unto Devils and not to God and they that are guilty of this practice have fellowship with Devils in it and not with God for saith he Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of Devils ye cannot be partaker of the Lord's Table and of the table of Devils Thus you do hear what the Apostle saith it is not my word but his which he spake by Divine Inspiration They offer up sacrifices unto Devils But here I say are two Sacrifices as you may observe in this one The first is this whereas the Priest doth pretend to offer up a Sacrifice sufficient and propitiatory for the sins of the living and the dead why here the Apostle telleth us plainly that this is to offer a Sacrifice unto the Devil and not unto God So that it is clear that they do offer a Sacrifice unto the Devil under a specious pretence of sacrificing unto God. And the second Sacrifice that springs out of this one Sacrifice is this viz. The poor Lay-people do really offer up their Senses Reason Understanding and Faith and all that should be dear unto them both as Christians and Men in Sacrifice to the Priest and they are no longer Masters of their own Senses Reason Understanding Soul and Conscience for 〈…〉 another They have eyes and see not they have cars and hear not they are fallen under that heavy Judgment which the Gospel Prophet predicted and also our Saviour Christ himself Isa 29.10 11 12. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep and hath closed your eyes the prophets and your rulers the seers hath he covered And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed which men deliver to one that is learned saying Read this I pray thee and he saith I cannot for it is sealed And the book is delivered to him that is not learned saying Read this I pray thee and he saith I am not learned Matt. 13.14 15. And in them is fulfilled the prophesie of Esaias which saith By hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive For this peoples heart is waxed gross and their cars are dull of hearing and their eyes they have closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them I do believe that this Prophesie does principally refer to the Jews and took place upon them first for rejecting and disbelieving Christ the true Messiah but those Christians that have contracted the same guilt as they did to reject the Gospel of Christ they do make themselves guilty of the same sin with the Jews and by that means have lain themselves in the bed of unbelief with them and are both Sacrificers now in Gospel times which is to deny that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh so they lay themselves under the same Judgment with the Jews for one and the same cause produceth one and the same effects at one time as well as at another without preventing Mercy But the Apostle Paul speaks clearly of a sort of Christians that would cast off and reject the Gospel of God for which God did bring the like judgment upon them in 2
promised that he should so come Gen. 3.15 But after our Saviour Christ did come in the flesh why then that part of Faith was at an end for after that whoever looked for his coming in that nature did not exercise Faith but it was a great sin for it was the product of unbelief which was a very great Judgment and it is the very Grave wherein the poor scattered Jews have lain dead and buried ever since and unbelief and prejudice against Christ is the Grave-stone also that lyeth upon them and keeps them down Our Saviour told them If ye believe not that I am he ye shall die in your sins But now the proper work and office of Faith is to see him that is invisible Heb. 11.27 By faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him who is invisible that was Christ But how can that be it seems to be a contradiction in it self what to see him which cannot be seen why it must be understood thus that Moses did see Christ by an eye of Faith who could not be seen by an eye of sence a bodily eye And thus Abraham the Father of the Faithful did see Christ before ever he came in the flesh Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and was glad And thus all true Believers do see and discern the Lord's Body at the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper and he is to be discerned no otherwise there And Stephen the Martyr he saw Christ in Heaven after he was ascended Act. 7.55 But he being full of the Holy Ghost looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the Glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. But how did Stephen see him why it was by an eye of faith he being full of the Holy Ghost Ay that soul can never miss of seeing Christ at any time or in any place that is full of the Holy Ghost and Stephen's confessing this made his Enemies mad insomuch that they run upon him and murdered him for they perhaps thought that they could see as far as he could and yet they could see no such sight 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 1 Cor. 2.14 Our Saviour Christ can no more be seen now personally and substantially by a bodily eye of sence while he is at the right hand of God than he could be seen in Moses's or Abraham's days which was before ever he had a substantial Body to be seen neither ever shall he be so seen until he cometh down from Heaven in that manner as he was seen to go up into Heaven Act. 1.10 11. Nor until he appeareth the second time without sin unto Salvation Without sin why doth not the Scripture â—ell us that he was without sin before namely at his â—â—rst coming why yes it does so and it is very true â—â—at is thus he was without sin with a respect to 〈…〉 â—uilt or pollution or any inclination to 〈…〉 sin in himself for he was a Lamb without spot or blemish the Lamb for Sacrifice did Type out unto us the sinless spotless nature of Christ But when Christ came first in the flesh he appeared then in his state of Humiliation in the form of a servant with all the sins of all the people of God upon him of all that ever were saved and gotten safe into Glory and of all that ever should be saved from Adam to the end of the world all the sins of his people past present and to come viz. of them that were dead and gone and of them that were then living and of them that were then unborn all concentred upon Christ but not in him they all met upon Christ's shoulders Isa 53.5 6. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquity 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 upon him the iniquity of us all Therefore it is said God was manifested in the flesh Then indeed Christ was seen with bodily eyes for he was manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit after Christ had suffered and died and rose again from the dead when he had paid the debt to God which he stood engaged unto him for as a surety for sinners when the Law was fulfilled and the Justice of God fully satisfied and the wrath of God wholly appeased then Christ must needs be justified and by his being justified all his people for whom he died were all justified It was just as if a rich man were surety for a poor indigent man that was deeply in debt and was not able to pay one farthing why the Creditors take no notice of the poor Debtor but fall upon the rich man that is his surety and arrest him and cast him into prison upon which the rich man payeth all the poor mans debts and then he comes forth having fully discharged the debt he and the poor Debtor are both fully discharged the Prison could hold him no longer so that both the Surety and the Debtor are justified and acquitted the Law cannot take hold neither of the Surety nor the Debtor again for that is fulfilled why even so comparatively it was with a respect to Christ and poor sinners he was bound for poor sinners and the Justice of God past by them and seised upon Christ and arrested him and cast him into prison Isa 53.8 9. He was taken from prison and from judgment c. Which I take to be the prison of the Grave for death could not hold him but he paid every farthing of all the debt for all them for whom he died and when he had discharged the debt for poor sinners then he himself was fully discharged and justified and all his people in him and in this sense every believer is without sin that is they are free from the reigning condemning power of sin tho not from the in-being of sin Rom. 8.1 And so is to be understood that 1. Joh. 2.9 Whosoever is born of God 〈…〉 sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God. But to return to the case in hand c. But Christ has never been seen by any mortal eye in this world since he Ascended up into Glory by which you may see that this Doctrine of Christ's being Corporeally present in the Sacrament destroys the use and exercise of Faith in that Ordinance which is to see him by the eye of Faith who is at the right hand of God and is invisible which is to discern the Lords Body which cannot be seen by a carnal bodily eye of sence as you pretend to see him in your Sacrament Secondly If this Doctrine of Transubstantiation in your Churches
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
God so he could not die for his Godhead could not suffer nor die But as he was Man and surety for all sinners that ever did or that ever should believe in him so he died and as he was ordained and appointed by God the Father so to do in the Confederal Covenant between the Father and the Son Zech. 16.13 Now I pray Sir How can you Romanists eat and drink Christ personally and substantially in his Body Soul and Divinity but that Christ at the same time must of necessity suffer and die And then how many Millions of times must Christ have suffered and died by your hands according to this Doctrine of yours since you first brought it into the World For the Apostle saith plainly That if Christ be offered up often that then he must suffer often which clearly infers that as often as he is offered up so often he suffers and he also saith that Christ died but once Rom. 6.10 For in that he died he died but once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God. And I pray Sir do you Roman-Catholicks look into your own Creed and there you will 〈…〉 of the Articles of your Faith that Christ suffered once under Pontius Pilate and was Buried and Descended into Hell and Rose again from the Dead the third Day and is Ascended up into Heaven and is sat down at the Right hand of God from whence he shall come to Judge the Quick and the Dead Which is very true I do own it to be so And the Holy Scriptures say clearly and positively That Christ is ascended up into Heaven and is sat down at the Right hand of God and there he is to sit until God has made his enemies his footstool And Antichrist the Man of Sin is the greatest enemy that our Saviour Christ hath upon Earth whom Christ will consume with the spirit or rod of his mouth and destroy by the brightness of his coming Tho Antichrist have usurped Christ's Throne for a long time in the Temple of God and Reigned and Ruled over the Souls and Consciences of men which is Christ's peculiar Prerogative yet the time is at hand that he shall be made his footstool this was spoken Prophetically by David of what was to be in the last times at the period of Antichrist's Reign Psal 110.1 And our Saviour himself gives it further Sanction in Matt. 22.44 The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my right hand till I have made thine enemies thy footstool Mark 12.36 Luke 20.42 43. Hence we may observe That from Christ's state of Humiliation and Ascention into Glory until he comes again in Triumph in his state of Exaltation all that time that Christ sits at the right hand of God the Father by God's permissive will his enemies were to be uppermost in the World first the Heathen Emperors and after them then Antichrist the Man of Sin he got into the Temple of God and his Reign there was to be One thousand two hundred and sixty days which is so many years Ezek. 4.6 until Christ comes again and makes him his footstool But whether he will come personally as some are of opinion he will or otherwise I will not determine but I will leave the Reader to the Scriptures Acts 1.9 10 11. And when he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparel which also said Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into heaven This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven Rev. 20.4 Rev. 1.7 Job 19.25 26 27. Now Does Christ so come in your Mass But now if Christ be in person sitting at the right hand of God the Father in Glory as you see clearly proved by the Holy Word of God he is and that he is not to come from thence untill his enemies be made his footstool and that when he does come from thence he is to come in like manner as he ascended 〈…〉 shall 〈◊〉 him so come and that his Body is a finite Body Why if this be so then Christ cannot be personally and corporeally present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist in so many thousand places at once as the Mass is or may be said and yet at the same time to be personally and corporeally at the right hand of God the Father in Glory making intercession with him for poor Sinners Tho Christ as God is in all places both in Heaven and Earth and excluded from no place But yet as he is the only Mediator between God and Man so he is fixed in Heaven at the right hand of God until his enemies measure of iniquity be full and then they shall all be made his footstool He is entred into Heaven as the forerunner for his people he entred into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us as an Advocate He is the first fruits of the resurrection of the dead So that this Doctrine of Christ's Personal and Corporeal Presence in the Sacrament does even contradict and destroy your own Faith or Creed as well as it does overthrow the whole current of the Holy and Sacred Scriptures As for the former I will appeal even unto you your own selves who are Romanists that do say and pretend to own and believe your own Creed whether it be not so or no And as for the latter I will appeal unto all sorts of Christians whatsoever that do own and believe the Holy Scriptures to be the revealed word and will of God whether it be not so or no And also I will appeal to their own Sence and Reason Again secondly Let us hear further what the Apostle saith for more light into this dark matter in 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. Brethren I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed thorow the sea And were all baptized unto Moses who was a type of Christ And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea And did all eat the same spiritual meat And did all drink the same spiritual drink For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ These were all true Believers in Christ which were among the Children of Israel in Moses's days and all of them did live by Faith upon Christ and they all fed upon the same spiritual food then as we do now under the Gospel this is that hidden Manna Rev. 2.17 This is that meat which God gives his Children to eat which the World knows nothing of By Faith Moses forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him who is Invisible That was by an eye of Faith Moses saw Christ in his day that could not
that saw them have always been satisfied that it was a real thing Tho it is true the wicked enemies many times 〈…〉 believing Jews did of our blessed Lord and Saviour's casting out Devils when they said that he cast out Devils by Beclzebub the Prince of Devils Matt. 12.24 But when the pharisees heard it they said this fellow doth not cast out devils but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils They blasphemously and boldly did assert that Christ the Eternal Son of God did derive his Power and Authority to work Miracles by from the Devil when as Christ himself is the Omnipotence God the Second person in the most Glorious Trinity Rev. 1.8 I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is which was and which is to come the Almighty John 8.58 Jesus saith unto them Verily verily I say unto you Before Abraham was I am Prov. 8.23 30. I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the carth was Then I was by him as one brought up with him and I was dayly his delight rejeycing always before him And likewise concerning that wonderful Miracle of Christ rising from the dead How did they porsuade and bribe the Soldiers that watched the Sepulchre to tell the Governor that while they slept his Disciples came by night and stole him away Matt. 28.11 12 13. But now this Transubstantiated Miracle of yours does not nor cannot satisfy any Man's Senses or Reason unless it be with Ignorance I dare be bold to say and appeal to all men that no Romanist himself can have his Sense and Reason satisfied as to the truth of it for it cannot be it is impossible All that can be said is this their unbelief has overcome and captivated their Sense and Reason and so they do lay a force upon it and suspend the following of the dictates of it as our Saviour Christ saith Mark 4.12 That seeing they may see and not perceive and hearing they may hear and not understand They may force their Tongues and so extort a Confession that the Bread or Wafer in the Sacrament is the Real Body and Substantial Flesh of Christ but the Eye saith Tongue thou liest at the same time for the Eye seeth no change upon the Accidents but they remains still as they were before which if there were such a change wrought upon them then the Elements would cease to be and quite disappear but he seeth the Elements still remaining as they were But implicit Faith and Unbelief hath so blinded his spiritual Eyes that he must not believe his own corporeal Eyes by which means be cannot or will not perceive the deceit And their hearts being so hardened through the deceitfulness of sin that they will not exercise their thoughts about it and their hearts are so beclouded or vailed over with their false Doctrine that although they hear better things with their Ears yet-they must not believe them because they are bound to believe as their Church commands them to believe And the Hand that 〈…〉 Mouth that can taste nothing but Bread or the Wafer the Mouth cannot taste one bit or morsel of Flesh or feel the least Bone or Gristle in it And as for the Wine that is really turned into blood they must take the Priests word for that and pawn the Salvation of their Souls for the truth of it too But tho they do blind themselves in this nature yet their Senses and Reason do their Office tho they will not hearken unto them nor give the least credit unto what they inform them And Christ and the Apostle tells them that it is Bread after Consecration and that the Cup is a Cup in which the Wine is 1 Cor. 10.16 17. And their own Senses and Reason tell them that it is so but they will not believe Christ nor the Apostles no nor their own Eyes Nose Hands nor Mouth but they will believe as the Church believes or believe the Priest before them all altho they have neither their own Senses Reason nor Understanding on their side nor the Holy Scriptures on their side which is the revealed will of God and ought to be the Rule for every Christian to live and walk by But Sir your own sense and reason and understanding and the Sacred Scriptures are all against you and this is the main reason why your Priests will not permit nor allow the use of the Gospel-light that holy and Sacred Touchstone to the people for if they did it would discover all their spiritual coyn to be but dross and counterfeit and it would never pass among the people Joh. 3.20 For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved They first put out the light of the Gospel and then they bring them to resign up their sences and reason and understanding and conscience and souls and all unto the conduct of the Priests or Church And when they have them thus in the dark why then they lead them which way they please for he is no longer acted nor guided by his own reason or understanding nor by the holy Scriptures but by the Priests O Sirs look to the Word of God Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them O precious souls do not deceive your selves I beseech you by sollowing these blind Guides but take our blessed Redeemer's advice and counsel in Mat. 15.14 Let them alone that is as much as to say do not follow them they be blind leaders of the blind and if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch And the Prophet Isaiah saith in Isa 9.16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err and they that are lead of them â—re destroyed Again secondly if it be so that your Priests do by vertue of their Consecration convert the Bread â—nd Wine into the real substantial person of Christ 〈◊〉 wit of Body Soul and Divinity why then it 〈…〉 follow that Christ must be as compleat substantial and intire lacking nothing of all these blessed personal perfections as he was when he was here personally upon Earth before he ascended up into Glory for this must be the inevitable and necessary consequence of it for even so it must be or else it is but a meer fantastical imaginary Sham-Christ and is of the number of those sort of false Christs which our Saviour Christ bids us beware of which are out in the desert among the false Prophets Matt. 24.23 24 25 26. Then if any man shall say unto you Lo here is Christ or there believe it not for there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets This was prophesied by our Saviour Christ that when Antichrist the Man of Sin did or should arise that then these false Christs and false Prophets should arise in great numbers with him and shall shew great signs and
will give fâ—â— the life of the world that is that all Believers shouâ—â— live Spiritually by the blessed fruits and effects whiâ—â— is produced by Christs taking flesh upon him Tâ—â— Jews they were offended at this Mystical Spiritual Doctrine of Christ because it was not given 〈◊〉 them to believe the Jews therefore strove amoâ— themselves saying How can this man give us his fâ—â— to eat as indeed well they might if it had bâ— to be understood literally and properly as they â—â—nally and vainly through unbelief did conceive 〈◊〉 imagin that the words was spoken Then Jesus 〈◊〉 unto them Verily verily I say unto you Except you the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ye 〈◊〉 no life in you And in vers 60. there Christ's Dâ—â—ples were stumbled and offended at this Doctrine saying of his Many therefore of his Disciples where had heard this said This is an hard saying who can hâ—â— But now I pray Sir mind strictly the woâ—â— our Saviour and you shall hear how plainly clearly he himself has expounded and unfolded his own meaning unto us of this eating his 〈◊〉 and drinking his blood in the 61 62 63. 〈◊〉 When Jesus knew in himself that his Disciples murâ—â— at it he said unto them Doth this offend you whâ—â— if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he 〈◊〉 fore it is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh pâ—â— nothing the words that I speak unto you they are and they are life As if our Blessed Lord and Saviour should said Do you think that I intend by 〈◊〉 â—hat I have spoken unto you to cut and carve out â—he flesh of my real substantial and finite body â—nd give it unto you to eat And likewise broach â—â—y material blood and let that out of my â—eins and give it unto you to drink for if I should â—o so it would not quicken you unto spiritual life â—â— must be my Spirit that must do that and not my â—esh for the flesh profiteth nothing But besides â—â—l that with what body must I suffer in and die â—â— redeem the World in And with what body â—â—all I arise in from the dead And with what body â—â—all I ascend up into glory in where I was before â—amely where I was before ever I assumed this marial finite body made of material flesh and blood â— Act. 1.9 there is his Ascention and in Heb. 10.5 there â—his Body which God the Father prepared for him And again if Christ's substantial body be eaten â—â—d his real material blood be drunken literally in 〈◊〉 Sacrament of the Eucharist then consequentialâ—â— must Christ's sinless spotless holy body see corruption which is Diametrically contrary to the â—â—ly Word of God both in the Old Testament and 〈◊〉 New Psal 16.10 11. For thou wilt not leave my 〈◊〉 in hell neither wilt thu suffer thine holy One to see corruption Acts 2.26 27 31. Therefore did my heart â—â—â—yce and my tongue was glad moreover also my flesh 〈◊〉 rest in hope Because thou wilt not leave my soul in 〈◊〉 neither wilt thou suffer thine holy One to see corâ—â—â—ion He seeing this before spake of the resurrection Christ that his soul was not left in hell neither his 〈◊〉 did see corruption Now Sir if this Doctrine yours of Transubstantiation in your sense be 〈◊〉 why then Christ the Holy one of God whose â—â—less nature was without the least Tincture of 〈◊〉 or any kind of inclination thereunto must see â—â—â—ption ay and must be turned into corruption 〈◊〉 yea and that into the very worst sort of maâ—â—l corruption namely into Man's Excrements â—nto Man's Dung and that as often as the 〈◊〉 saith the Mass For I pray you what does beâ—â—â—e of what we do eat and drink Is it not turned corruption Ay and the Body that eats it too 〈◊〉 be turned into Corruption Meat is for the 〈◊〉 and the Belly for Meat but both are for â—â—â—ption or Destruction And pray mind what â—aviour saith of what we do eat in Matt. 15.17 â—â—t ye yet understand that whatsoever entereth in at â—outh goeth into the belly and is cast into the â—â—â—ht I could be larger here as well as in most â—â—e rest of these points but I must consult breâ—â—or as I hope a publick good and leave the 〈◊〉 to expatiate upon it in his own mind thoÌ„ resolved to write the most part of the Scripâ—â—â—â— that I have occasion to quote at length and â—â—eatest reason for it is this because that it may â—â—entially fall into the hands of some perhaps 〈…〉 keep one or look into it and for their sakes I do not repent my labour that this may put them upon getting the holy Bible and looking into it to see if these things be so or no Acts 17.11 These were more noble than those in Thessulonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so The Holy Scriptures are able to make persons wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 which is the greatest wisdom of all John 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testifie of me Christ expresly commands us to search the Scriptures But your Church expresly forbids it Who shall we obey Christ who is Infallible or your Church which pretends to be so Again Our Saviour Christ has but one humane body and that is a finite body Heb. 4.15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin And therefore our Saviour's Body was not to see corruption because it never did see sin so as to be tainted in the least measure with it and therefore Christ could never have died had it not been for the sins of his people because the wages of sin is death And if Christ will take Believers sins upon him he must take the wages also that was due unto them And therefore it is said that he tasted death for every man that is for every man that ever did or that ever should believe in him But because his sin was by imputation and not inherent in his nature as ours is but only by imputation therefore tho he tasted death for every man and by that took the curse or sting that is in death away for all Believers yet his holy Body did not see corruption Death could not hold him because there was no sin in him but it was upon him by imputation as Sinners are made righteous even so Christ was made a sinner for as Sinners are made righteous by the Righteousness of Christ imputed unto them so Christ was made a Sinner by imputing our sins unto him but not by Contamination or Pollution but as a Surety for if Christ had had no more sin upon him than he had in him he could never have died it had been impossible for it would have been
Thess 2.11 12. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie That they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness God punisheth them by their own very sins and makes it a judgment unto them as he did by the Jews and they are under much what the same judgment with the Jews for the first did chuse Delusions and Lies and then God gave them up unto them just as God gave the Jews to a hard heart and a blind mind and they are all laid in the grave of unbelief and prejudice against Christ the true Messiah and therefore they are Sacrificing and Sacrificing still now under the Gospel Why so God has given up these sacrificing Christians and so these Apostates or Backsliders in heart come to be filled with their own ways And you must certainly give your selves up to strong Delusions or else you would never abuse and disbelieve the Holy Scriptures as you do which is the revealed Will of 〈…〉 and walk by so that the people have no more use of the Gospel than the Jews that do not believe that Christ is yet come in the flesh so that you are as ignorant with a respect to any saving experiemental knowledg of Christ's being come in the flesh as the very Jews are for while you profess to know him in word you deny him in works namely in sacrifices and other carnal Ordinances and were not your Consciences seared with a hot Iron you would never disbelieve your own senses and reason and understandings as you do for you must not believe your own eyes that tell you that the Bread or Wafer after Consecration as it 's called is still Bread and the Wine is Wine still without any alteration Nor you must not believe your own hands that give the same account of it unto you nor you must not believe your own mouth that telleth you that it is Bread and not Flesh But the Priest by what authority I know not will not suffer the Lay-peoples mouths to make a judgment upon the Wine whether it be Wine or Blood tho Christ hath given a particular and an express command for it as in them words of our Saviour's Drink ye all of it Mat. 26.27 Mark 14.23 And they all drank of it But this is your misery you must believe as the Church believes or as the Priest commands ye to believe you must not believe Christ nor his Apostles nor his Gospel nor your own sences reason and understanding none of these are to be believed but all is fast lockt up in unbelief and the Priest carrieth the Key of your Knowledg at his Girdle and thus you do see clearly and spontaneously proved that you are the persons which the Apostle Paul prophesied of that do make a Sacrifice of the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper when as there is no material Sacrifices of this kind to be offered up in this manner for Christ at his coming and dying and rising again put an end to all that kind of worship Col. 2.14 15 16 18 20 21 22 23. Heb. 9.9 10 11 12. But yet notwithstanding give me leave to tell ye that we have our Gospel-Sacrifices but they are all Spiritual viz. The sacrifice of a broken heart and of an humble contrite spirit and the sacrifice of prayer and of thanksgiving and every part of holy worshipping of God in spirit and in truth these are the Sacrifices that are accepted and well-pleasing unto God when we offer up our selves in them when all is offered up unto God upon the Golden Altar the Lord Jesus Christ and mixed with his Merits and both the person and the offering covered with his Robe of Righteousness the only Garment of Salvation Rev. 8.3 4. And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a Golden Censer and there was given to him much Incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar 〈…〉 cense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand This is the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Jesus Christ who presents our persons and petitions unto God the Father for us if they be indicted in us by God the Holy Ghost Rom. 8.26 27. Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God. And the person must be clothed with Christ's Robe of Righteousness Isa 61.10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of Salvation he hath covered me with the Robe of Righteousness as a Bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with her Jewels This is the Wedding-garment that every soul hath on that is married to Christ and hence you may observe floweth all the Saints joy and comfort from their being justified by the righteousness of Christ But if this be so as you see clearly proved that it is then what a miserable condition must all these poor souls be in that hope for and expect Eternal life and Salvation upon no better ground nor foundation than their own meritorious works of righteousness and boast of their works of Supererogation which will all prove Physitians of no value and will prove miserable Comforters in the End they are but sparks of their own kindling Isa 50.11 Behold all ye that kindle a fire that compass your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled this shall ye have of mine hand ye shall lie down in sorrow Thus you do see what a vast difference there is between your Sacrifices and the Protestants Gospel-Sacrifices the one is an abomination and abhorred by the Lord The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight And the true Gospel-sacrifices are accepted with the Lord in and through Christ if offered up upon the Golden Altar of his Righteousness and Merits then they are God's delight Now in the next place I shall offer unto you a few modest and solid Reasons together with some Arguments to confute this gross error and strong delusion that you poor souls are involved in In the first place if this Doctrine of yours be true why then so far it renders Faith useless and destroys it for if our Saviour Christ be personally and substantially come again and is thus present with his people why then the use of that part o◠Faith is at an end As for instance before our Saviour Christ came in the flesh it was the duty of a 〈◊〉 God's 〈…〉 come in the flesh because God had
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
fiesh and bones as ye see me have And when he had thus spoken he shewed them his hands and his feet Joh. 20.19 20 24 25 26. Then the same day at evening being the first day of the week when the Doors were shut where the Disciples were assembled for fear of â—he Jews came Jesus and stood in the midst and saith unto them Peace be with ye This made them so terribly afraid because Christ came in personally among them notwithstanding the Doors being fast â—hut And when he had so said he shewed unto them his â—ands and his side then were the Disciples glad when â—hey saw the Lord. That was when our Saviour had â—atisfied their sences and reason and their understanding that it was he himself and not another â—ow if you could satisfie any body of the reality of â—our Christ that is Transubstantiated or if that â—hrist himself would satisfie people of the truth of 〈◊〉 as our true Saviour Christ did it would be someâ—â—ing But Thomas a Didimus being absent this first â—â—y that Christ appeared he mist sight of him vers â—â— 25 26. But Thomas one of the Twelve called Didiâ—â—◠〈◊〉 not with them when Jesus came The other Disciples therefore said unto him We have seen the Lord But he said unto them Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and thrust my hand into his side I will not believe And after eight days again his Disciples were within and Thomas with them then came Jesus the Doors being shut and stood in the midst and said Peace be unto you then said he to Thomas Reach hither thy fingers and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but believing If you of the Roman Catholicks that are Lay-persons were but as incredulous about your Doctrine of Transubstantiation as Thomas a Didimus was of Christ's Resurrection I know not how the Priests would do to satisfie you but here you see that our Saviour Christ did satisfie all his Disciples for he satisfied their sences and reason and all the scruples that did arise in them and he did not send their understandings empty away nor hoodwinkt here was seeing hearing and feeling fully satisfied and reason and understanding sent full fraighted or laden away and no room left for the least doubt or scruple to be made of the truth and reality of those Miracles But your Transubstantiated Miracle is so far from satisfying any persons Senses Reason and Understanding whether Romanist or others that will but be true to their Intellectuals that it both betrayeth and destroyeth Sense Reason and Understanding for ye must not believe one of them noble faculties if you believe your Miracle which is quite contrary to the very nature of Miracles Pray mind our Saviour Christ he comparatively did stoop down and condescend to Thomas's unbelief but it was to destroy it And this he did by satisfying his Senses Reason and Understanding also John 20.24 25 26 27. Now if your Priests could do so then it were something like but because they cannot do it it is not only nothing but it is that which is insinitely worse than nothing it is a very dangerous pernicious Doctrine for it is a strong Delusion and it is one of Antichrist the Man of Sin 's Lying Wonders for they that pretend to work this Miracle do despise and contemn the Holy Scriptures as you may see in that same Chapter where Antichrist the Man of Sin is described For these are two of his Characters viz. Lying Wonders and Disowning the Gospel 2 Thess 2.9 10 11 12. Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders That is he claims all power both spiritual and temporal which either his craft or his cruelty can reach Dan. 8.24 25. And his power shall be mighty but not by his own power and he shall destroy wonderfully and shall prosper and practice and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people And through his policy he shall cause crast to proster in his band and 〈◊〉 shall magnify himself in his heart and by peace shall destroy many he shall also stand up against the prince of princes but he shall be broken without hands Rev. 17.14 16 17. The Apostle saith that he should come with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness It is a most dreadful judgment you see that you poor souls do lye under who do believe this Doctrine The Lord in Mercy open your eyes and thorowly convince your Consciences of the evil and danger of it before it be too late while the door of Mercy stands open for it is as great a Judgment as that which the Jews lieth under for as your sins and theirs is much alike so are the judgments which both the one and the other lieth under the Jews they deny Christ openly and you deny him privately you do confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh in words but in works you deny him 3. Thirdly and lastly The Apostles whenever they wrought Miracles the people saw that they were Miracles Acts 8.6 7. And the people with one accord gave good heed unto these things which Philip spake hearing and seeing the Miracles which he did For unclean spirits crying with loud voices came out of many that were possessed with them and many taken with palsies and that were lame were healed And their very enemies did see the Miracles which they wrought and were forced to confess and own it as you may see in Acts 4.16 Saying What shall we do to these men for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done it is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem and we cannot deny it And the Apostles did raise the dead also and the people both good and bad did hear and see the Miracles which they wrought and were all satisfied with the reality of them or else it could be no Miracle There was never any Miracle wrought that ever I read of in the Sacred Scriptures as I can remember either by the Prophets who were inspired by the Holy Chost before Christ came in the flesh or by our Saviour Christ himself or by any of his Apostles that ever destroyed mens Senses and Reason and put out the very light of their Understanding but the Miracles which they all wrought brought their own clear and undeniable evidence along with them They have as we may say spoken clearly and fully for themselves they need no tricky nor force nor cunning artisices to create a belief in the people of the real truth of them but all the people
not flesh and bones as ye see me have And wheâ—â— he had thus spoken he shewed them his hands anâ—â— his feet And if yours be a Real Christ he couâ—â— speak now as well as he did then or as he will whâ— he cometh to Judge the World when he will câ—â— for Antichrist the Man of Sin who is his greatâ— enemy and call for all the false Prophets and Disâ—ples that do belong unto him to give an accoâ—â— for all their Idolatry and Cruelty and will then 〈◊〉 unto them all But those mine enemies that would 〈◊〉 that I should reign over them bring hither and 〈◊〉 them before me Luke 19.27 Now if you couâ—â— prove by clear and undeniable evidence that evâ—â— this Transubstantiated Christ of yours did speak 〈◊〉 any person at any time or times and gave aâ—â— directions among persons about matters and forâ—â— of Worship in Churches seeing there is so muâ—â— difference in the World about it then thâ— might be something said unto it in vindication of it But seeing that no such thing can 〈◊〉 proved there is no Authority at all to give the lâ—â—â— countenance or credit unto that 〈…〉 â—hat obtrudes such a silent mute sort of Christ upon the people that is altogether speechless and also â—â—uitless unto those that expect to receive any benefit â—â—y him 5. Fifthly and lastly After all that has been said 〈◊〉 will Challenge any of all your Priests that pretend â—o have this Infallible knack of working this Miraâ—le or Change upon the Wafer or bit of Bread and â—he Cup of Wine To take a Consecrated Transubstantiated Wafer or bit of Bread and likewise the â—onsecrated Cup of Wine and let the Wafer be put â—mong a parcel of Wafers of the very same make â—hat are not Consecrated nor Transubstantiated and â—kewise let the Cup of Wine be put among other â—ups of Wine that are not Consecrated and let but â—ome other person that will be but faithful and honest â—ix them together and take good notice to himself which it is that is Consecrated and shift the Wine â—to another Cup and unless the Priest have any â—rivate mark upon the Wafer or any private notice â—iven him which is the Wine the Priest himself â—at Consecrated them shall not know which it is â—or discern any difference that there is between the â—â—ne and the other between the consecrated and the â—nconsecrated neither in colour bigness nor by â—eight it shall not weigh one dram more after â—onsecration than it did before And is not this a â—ry strange thing think ye that there should be â—â—ch a great Change as this is wrought upon the Eleâ—ents viz. from a little Wafer and Cup of Wine â—â—to the real Body Soul and Divinity of Christ and â—â—t that it should not be known nor discerned in â—â—e least from the rest of the Wafers and Wine â—ither by sight nor by weight nor by any the least â—eration to be discerned or discovered upon the Acâ—dents when as they pretend to Transubstantiate it â—â—to the very person of Christ composed and made 〈◊〉 of Body Soul and Divinity and then they ofâ—â— him up a Sacrifice sufficient and propitiatory for â—â—e sins of the living and the dead But in the next place I shall produce you two â—â—ry great Miracies which this Doctrine of Tranâ—â—stantiation does afford us which is essentially in 〈◊〉 very Bowels or Womb of it 1. And the first is this namely That it is no less â—â—n a very prodigious Miracle and amazing Wonâ—â— that ever any persons whom God hath endewâ—â— with Senses Reason Understanding and all oâ—â—â— Faculties and Intellectuals proper to Man and â—â—s great a measure as to any other men whatsoever should yet suffer themselves to be so â—â—â—ribly imposed upon and expose or rather abanâ—â—â— all that is dear unto them to follow a false â—â—â—ist which is to depart from the true one to beâ—â—â— such a piece of Ridiculous nonsensical Doâ—â—â—ne which Travelleth with Contradictions and 〈◊〉 forth nothing but monstrous Absurdities Surely persons must sacrifice all the rational part of humanity or at least postpone it before ever they can be brought or persuaded to assent and consent unto any such kind of Doctrine They must wholly unman themselves And is not this a very great Miracle think ye 2. Secondly The second Miracle which this Doctrine does afford us is almost as great as the former namely this that the Priests should ever have the boldness to make such an invasion upon mens senses reason and understanding and have the confidence to impose such horrible absurdities and rediculous nonsence upon the people that is so full of contradictions in it self and made of a strong delusion that is contrary to the Holy Scripture and contrary to your own Creed and contrary to Sense and Reason and contrary to the very Nature of Miracles for altho Miracles are above Sense and Reason yet such is the nature of them that the first thing they do after they are brought forth is to see that mens Senses and Reason and Understanding are satisfied with the reallity of it or else it can be no Miracle For how can a person admire and wonder at a thing that is common which he seeth no change in nor alteration upon Tho it is true God's end and design in working of Miracles was infinitely higher for it was for the confirmation and establishing the Churches for the Ages that were to come and for the good of God's people and for the greater aggravation of the condemnation of Christ's enemies But yet still the people saw these Miracles when they were wrought and were satisfied with the truth and reallity of them and many were convinced and converted by them John 11.42 43 44 45. Now if a Man should tell me that he is flying in the Air when I see him go along the street upon the ground as I my self do why this begets no manner of wonder in me except it should be at the Man's Impudence and for his lying ridiculous Nonsence But if a Man did really fly in the Air and I saw him do it that would be a Miracle ay altho he should tell me that he was then walking in the Street Now in such Cases as these are Seeing is always to be preferred before Believing So that this Doctrine of yours is but a meer fancy a dream or rather indeed as the Apostle phrases it A strong delusion and lying wonder 2 Thess 2. In the last place our Saviour Christ called it Bread after he had blessed it and called the Wine Cup after he had given thanks and the Apostle called it Bread and Cup after Consecration or Blessing of them when he did exhibit them unto the People 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 me being many are one bread 〈◊〉 one body for we