spiritual but to chimerical or phantastical nor intending his presence in the Elements as contained in them but to the Faith of the Receiver who hath Vnion with him c. Vines on the Sacrament p. 118. We hold that the Body and Blood of Christ is really that is truly exhibited and present to the Faith of the Receiver and we might express the real Presence as real is opposed to imaginary or chimerical were it not for Caption and Misunderstanding None of ours deny the Body of Christ to be really the spiritually eaten by a Believer c. Id. 125. We do positively and constantly assert and believe that the Body and Blood of Christ are present in the Sacrament in the following Sense that is that Christ is present not only in regard of 1. His Divinity or Divine Nature which is in all Places and indistantly present with every Being 2. His Spirit by whose Operation the Benefits of Christ are applied to Believers 3. Our Commemoration of him and shewing forth of his Death in this Action As things that are past and absent are made in a sort present to us by a Solemn Commemoration 4. Our Meditations and Contemplations of him in this Action As Contemplation brings the Object of it before the Eyes of the Mind and presents it to them 5. Our Affections that are or should be here fixed upon him The Heart and Affections fixing upon an Object make it present bring it to have a kind of Being with them The Apostle Paul Phil. 1.7 tells the Philippians that he had them in his Heart Tho in regard of his Personal Presence he was at a great distance from them yet in regard of his dear Affection unto them they were in his very Heart And so in this Ordinance Jesus Christ and the Affections of true Christians do meet I add that 6. The Body and Blood of Christ are present yet not 1st Locally per indistantium as included in or affixed to the Elements as the Wine is in the Cup. In this Sense they are as far distant from the Elements as the place where the Sacrament is celebrated is distant from Heaven Nor 2dly Substantially or Corporally This follows on the former The Signs are with us but the Substance is in Heaven But they are thus truly and really present 1. Sacramentally and Symbolically in the sacred Signs and Symbols of them His real Body is in Heaven but we have his representative Body present with us in the Sacrament Here the corporal Signs of it are corporally present 2. Vertually in their Vertue and Efficacy or by a Vertual Presence and an Efficacious Influence as the Body of the Sun is present not only upon the Surface but in the Bowels of the Earth Deut. 33.14 Thus there is a true and real Vertue Power and Efficacy of his Body and Blood really present Yea the Vertue and Efficacy of his Body and Blood the benefits of his Passion are no less present and communicated to Believers than if he were locally present In actione Coenae praesens est Dominus non in Signo nec pani participato sed cordi participantis non exhibitione carnis vel animae suae sed exhibitione spiritus gratiae quae non ore excipiantur sed fide cujus est id sibi praesens reddere quod apprehendit ut oculus quod videt Spanh Dub. Evang. part 3. Dub. 143. p. 839. The Presence with or under the Elements is one thing and the presence to the Soul and Faith of a Believer is another Vines 125. 3. Spiritually that is not in respect of their Essence but of our perceiving and receiving of them and their Vertue and Efficacy in nourishing us The Spirits or Souls of Believers by Faith only do receive them and by them through the Efficacy of the Holy Spirit are truly and really nourished to Spiritual and Eternal Life Thus the Body and Blood of Christ are really present Non pani ori sed fidei cordi credentium As August Nos Christum in Coelis sedentem manu contrecture non possumus sed Christum fide contingere possumus Et haec praesentiae spiritualis corporis Christi est verissima realissima Wend. Theol. 516. And thus we assert and believe that the Body of Christ is truly and really present in this threefold Sense but we do utterly disown and detest this real or corporal Presence of the Papists in or under the Signs which is the Daughter of Transubstantiation a Daughter like her Mother i. e. a very Monster repugnant to the nature of a Sacrament the end of the Lord's Supper to the nature of a true Human Body to the state of Christ's glorious Body to the Ascension of Christ to Heaven and as is before shewed to the express Testimony of the Scriptures And this is the First-born of Transubstantiation and I may say of it as the Martyr Elizabeth Folks said who when asked Whether she believed the Presence of Christ's Body to be in the Sacrament substantially and really or no answered That she believed it was a substantial Lye and a real Lye. Or as Thomas Watts Martyr who being examined by Bishop Bonner about the Sacrament of the Altar told him That he believed Christ's Body to be in Heaven and no where else and that he would never believe that it was in the Sacrament And that the Mass was abominable Idolatry Secondly The Multipresence or manifold Presence of Christ's Body This is another Birth of Transubstantiation and it is fruitful this way to a Wonder yea to a Miracle It is recorded in Story as a thing that was very monstrous and miraculous that Margaret of Holland Countess of Hausburg brought forth 364 Children at one Birth Belg. Com. Wealth p. 127. But this was a sorry thing to be stranged at Behold here Transubstantiation bringing forth ten times so many Christs on a Day and Day after Day without any intermission for one Day in a whole Year By this miraculous power of Transubstantiation and the wonderful fecundity of her Womb it comes to pass 1. That Christ is not only in Heaven but upon the Earth at the same time 2. That he is not only both in Heaven and Earth but also in many parts and places of the Earth at the same time In England France Spain Italy America and no Body knows in how many places at once Yea 3. That he is in several Parts and Corners of the same Church at once in one Man's Hand in another Man's Mouth in a third Man's Pyx and Pocket c. And in their private Masses which are celebrated in several Corners of the same Church and the Body of Christ created in six or seven Corners at once Nay 4. That he is in several parts of the same Host at once For they tell us in plain English and without any Circumlocution that he is whole in every Crumb and Point of the Host and in every Drop of the Wine And if so who can tell
and whereof he that eateth shall live for ever If it be said this cannot be his Meaning for he delivered this Sermon before his Passion yet speaks of an eating and drinking that was a present Duty so that he could not have this Meaning I say it is true Passiō Christi profuit antequam fuit Beneficia Christi valent tam antrorsum quam retrorsum Ex eo tempore valet ad servandum genus humanum ex quo in Adam est vitiatum Aug. both that Christ spake this before his Passion and the eating he speaks of was a present Duty But what then distinguish between the Time of his Death and the Merit of his Death and the Difficulty is solved He is the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World. Rev. 13.8 i. e. In regard of the Merit Fruits and Efficacy of his Death and the Faith of Believers Not only before his Passion but before his Incarnation the Fathers 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 1. Cor. 10.3 4. Abraham saw his Day Joh. 8.56 And the Apostle giveth this Account of him Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 3. In what Respect he here calls them by the Names of Bread Meat and Drink 1. Not in regard of their Nature and Substance As if the very Flesh and Blood of Christ were according to the bare sound of the Words very Meat and Drink such as our Corporeal Food is But 2. In regard of their Effect the saving Benefits of his Flesh and Blood or Passion nourish the Souls of the Faithful and preserve them unto Eternal Life even as Corporal Meat that we eat doth minister Aliment to our Bodies and preserve our Natural Lives And thus as it is the Property of Meat and Drink to maintain the Lives of them that eat and drink thereof and as whatsoever being eaten and drunk doth maintain Life is therefore called Meat and drink So it is the proper Nature of the Fruits and Effects of his Body and Blood to nourish the Souls of them that partake thereof to Eternal Life And therefore for their performing that to Souls which Meat and Drink do to Bodies he calls them by the Names of Meat and Drink 4. What kind of eating and drinking this is that he speaks of Or what our Saviour means by eating of his Flesh and drinking of his Blood What this Manducation of this Spiritual Meat is Per manducationem nihil aliud intelligit quam actum fidei qui consistit in apprehensione applicatione beneficiorum Christi And this is only Spiritual eating by Faith extra Sacramentum without the use of the Sacramental Signs The Romanists confess that he speaks of this kind of eating in this Chapter from the 32d to the 50th verse but then from ver 50. to 59. of eating Orally and Corporally But we say he speaketh only of Spiritual Manducation in this Chapter which doth consist in a partataking by Faith of the Merit and Virtue of his Death the Fruits and Effects of his Passion for us And thus a true Believer eats the Flesh and drinks the Blood of Christ Spiritually when he 1. Believes that Christ's Body was Crucified and his Blood shed for him for the Remission of Sins And 2. Believeth that by this Passion Jesus Christ hath obtained Remission of Sins and Eternal Life for them that do unfeignedly believe in him And when 3. By this true and lively Faith he doth embrace and close with Jesus Christ apply him to himself and from him thus received or manducated receiveth a daily Confirmation and Increase of Spiritual Life and Growth Thus then 1. The Meat our Lord speaketh of is Spiritual Meat 2. This Spiritual Meat is the saving Good prepared for us by the Body and Blood of Christ crucified for us 3. He calls these Fruits of his Passion his Body and Blood because they are obtained by and rise out of his Flesh and Blood sacrificed on the Cross 4. This eating of his Flesh and drinking of his Blood which he calls by the Names of Bread Meat and Drink is a Spiritual manducating or eating by Faith. This is our Saviour's Sense which is embraced by the true Protestants or Calvinists as Bellarmine calls them Secondly The Popish Sense of this Sermon This is hinted before And in short 1. They confess that the kind of Meat he speaketh of is Spiritual Meat But then they affirm 1. That this Meat is truly and properly the true and proper Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ And 2. That this eating is an Oral and Corporal eating of his true and proper Flesh and Blood. A Manducation that is performed by Mouth 3. That the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ is thus eaten orally and corporally by the Communicants in the Eucharist This is their constant Tenet that in the blessed Sacrament of the Altar under the Forms of Bread and Wine the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ are received orally and corporally and that is eaten this is drunk 4. That this Bodily eating and drinking in the Sacrament is the eating and drinking that is properly and primarily meant by our Lord in this Sermon Et de quâ agitur This is the Mind of the Romanists Now in the next Place I am to shew Thirdly That our Lord Jesus Christ in this Sermon is not treating properly of the Sacrament and Sacramental eating and drinking of his Flesh and Blood much less is he here teaching the Popish Doctrine of Oral and Bodily eating and drinking his true and proper Flesh and Blood in the Sacrament In this Point we have the Consent of the Lutherans Hoc caput non proprie per se ad doctrictrinam de Coena pertinet Chemn Harm p. 1134. De spirituali comestione Dominus ait nisi manducaveritis carnem filii hominis biberitis ejus sanguineni non habebitis vitam in vobis De Myst Missae l. 4. c. 14. yea we have the Suffrage of divers learned Papists who quit this Argument and positively affirm That our Saviour in this Chapter doth not treat of the Sacrament As Biel in Can. Missae Card. Cajetan in Thom. par 3. q. 80. Art. 8. Card Cusan Ep. 7. ad Bohemos and many others Insomuch that Maldonatus on John 6.53 complains sadly that some Catholicks chose to think and speak in this Controversy as Hereticks rather than as the Orthodox and tho he forbear to name them yet he gives their Character in these Words Scio Catholicos scio Doctos scio Religiosos ac Probos Viros esse So that by the Jesuits own Confession we have Catholicks and Catholicks that are Learned and Religious and Honest good Men on our side Yet if this be nothing we have not only learned Men but an Infallible Pope voting for us and expounding our Lord's Words as we do viz. Innocent the
how may Christs there may be in the compass of one Host or in the Wine of one Flaggon This is the second it produces a Multipresence makes Christ to be Carnally Substantially and Corporally present in a thousand thousand places at one and the same time Thirdly The Oral Carnal Corporal or Bodily eating of the Body of Christ whereby it entreth in at the Mouth and goeth into the Belly This is another Monster like its Fellows that comes out of the Womb of Transubstantiation 〈◊〉 they that believe Transubstantiation believe that they eat Christ's real Body Flesh Blood and Bones orally in the Sacrament of the Altar In this Sacrament 1. We eat the Body of Christ Sacramentally when we receive the sacred Sign of his Body This is manducatio signi Et manducatio corporalis oralis This may be done by Unbelievers and Wicked who eat the Bread of the Lord. 2. We eat the Body of Christ Sacramentally and Spiritually when we do not only receive the sacred Sign by the Hand into our Mouths but Christ also by Faith into our Hearts Thus true Believers eat him in this Sacrament receiving not only the Bread of the Lord orally but the Bread which is the Lord spiritually 3. Besides that Sacramental eating only proper to Unbelievers and this Sacramental and Spiritual eating simul conjunctim jointly and together proper to Believers There is a spiritual eating only out of the use of the Sacrament This is done as often as a Christian by Faith applies Christ and derives Spiritual Nourishment from him Of this our Saviour treats John 6. and of this Augustin speaks when he says Vt quid puras dentem ventrem Crede manducasti credere enim in cum hoc est panem vivum manducare But this Carnal Corporal Oral eating introduced by the Papists and growing out of Transubstantiation is 1. Horribly impious and abominable Turning Christians into Canibals Man-eaters Savages that for this are justly loathed and abhorred by Mankind 2. Utterly impossible How is it possible that Christ's glorious Body now immortal and impassible in Heaven should be eaten by poor sinful Mortals upon Earth 3. Wholly unprofitable If it were possible yet I would ask what profit or benefit should we obtain by a Carnal and Capernaitical eating of his Flesh in the Sacrament The Papists confess that it is a Spiritual Feast a Feast for the Soul not for the Body Con. Triden Sess 13. cap. 2. Now how can the Food of the Soul be received by the Mouth of the Body Or how can that which entreth by the Mouth into my Stomach and Belly nourish my Soul This is a great Mystery 4. Grosly absurd For on this it will follow that Christ did orally eat his own Flesh and drink his own Blood and died twice once in the Administration of the Supper and again upon the Cross 5. Plainly inconsistent with the Spiritual Manducation or eating of his Body in the Sacrament And 6. Manifestly repugnant to the Scriptures Fourthly The Sacrifice of the Mass or Missal Oblation of a piece of Bread which they believe to be the true and proper Body of Christ under the kind or form of Bread unto God the Father as a propitiatory and expiatory Sacrifice both for the quick and dead This is another Birth of the same Belly or Product of Transubstantiation A blasphemous Sacrifice 1. Directly contrary to the Scripture Heb. 9.26 28. and Chap. 10.10 12 14. 2. Highly opprobrious to the Person Priesthood and Sacrifice of Christ Evacuating the Sacrifice of his Death overthrowing his perpetual Priesthood and putting his Person under a lower degree of Humiliation than the lowest that he condescended unto in his state of Humiliation Then he took upon him the forth of a Servant was made in the likeness of Men and was found in fashion as a Man Phil. 2◠7 8. But now he is put into the form of a Wafer the likeness of a piece of Bread and is found every where upon their Altars in the Priests Hands and Peoples Pockets in fashion as a bit of Bread. 3. Intolerably injurious to Christians As taking away the Lord's Table or driving the Lord's Supper out of the Church For the Sacrifice of the Mass and the Lord's Supper are diametrically opposite one to the other in many respects Ego medicus tu aegrotus ille minister gratia Antidotum vas Sacramentum So hereby Christian Congregations are quite deprived of this last and great Ordinance of their dying Lord which is a Mirror of the ineffable Love of God and Christ a visible Word preaching Christ to the Eye an Epitome of the Gospel the Seal of Christ's Testament and as a sacred Dish wherein the Father exhibits Christ with all his Fulness unto Believers Fifthly The Superstitious Reservation of the Host or Wafer after Consecration omitting the distribution receiving and eating in remembrance of Christ Nihil habet rationem Sacramenti exrra usum divinitûs insticutum it is reposited and kept to be carried about and accommodated to other Uses contrary to the institution of Christ example of the Apostles practise of the Primitive Church and nature of the Sacrament For a Sacrament out of the use appointed by God hath not the nature of a Sacrament This is another practise of the same Descent and Race and confirmed by the Council of Trent Sess 13. Cap. 6. Sixthly The Theatrical Circumgestation or carrying of the Host in Procession This came in at the same Door Transubstantiation is the Mother of Popish Processions wherein the Host is carried about with great Solemnity for staying of Fires laying of Tempests driving away Devils c. Yea they have a stated Annual Feast Corporis Christi i. e. Sacramenti Corporis Jesu Christi of the Body or Sacrament of the Body of Jesus Christ kept for the Honour of the Sacrament This Feast was instituted by Vrban the 4th about the Year 1264 to be observed the 5th Day after the Octaves of Whitsunday upon the pretended Revelation of one Eva then an Anchoress or rather the Bawd of Vrban as Baley confesseth as is evident from the Bull of Vrban to this Eva whereby he ordains this new Festivity to be observed devota Turba fidelium throughout the World It is celebrated with great Pomp and Ceremony The Body of Christ as they call it being placed in a rich Coffer upon a costly Cushion is carried on a white Horse gorgeously attired and trapped c. through the Streets Lanes and High-ways to be beheld and adored by all People Thomas Aquinas made the Office for this Day for which the Pope gave him a Silver Dove whence it is that he is pictured with a Dove at his left Shoulder Seventhly The Idolatrous Adoration of the Host Transubstantiation hath brought an Idol into the Church As the blessed Martyr Ann Askew said The Mass as it is now used in our Days I do say and believe it to be the most abominable Idol that is in
after what manner Corporally or Spiritually his Flesh is to be eaten and his Blood drunk And it is a vain pretence of Humility that leads Men to swallow down the most gross Absurdities under a pretence of believing But in the mean time the Papists sin most inexcusably 1st In their wilful understanding of our Saviour as the Capernaits did to speak of his Material Flesh and Blood and of a Bodily manner of eating and drinking thereof 2dly In their violent defending and maintaining of this that the Capernaits denied and condemned We have done with the third thing that was proposed namely That our Saviour in this Sermon is not treating of the Sacrament c. Fourthly We shall add a word of the fourth That our Saviour is here treating of the spiritual eating and drinking of his Body and Blood extra Sacramentum without the Sacrament And this will be evident if we consider that the Manducation here spoken of is an eating 1. That was before the Sacrament was instituted and true Believers did eat his Flesh and drink his Blood when there was no Eucharist to eat and drink them in 2. That is to everlasting Life unto all that so eat Vers 54. 3. That is absolutely necessary to Life and Salvation Vers 53. 4. That unites the Soul unto Christ and Christ unto the Soul Vers 56. These have been brought before to prove that he is not speaking of bodily eating and would come in again here to confirm this 5. The Flesh of Christ is eaten only as it is Meat Now it is not Meat for our Body and Corporal Nourishment but Meat of our Souls and Spiritual Nourishment and only eaten of the Soul spiritually by Faith. In short such as our Hunger is that makes us desire this Meat such as this Meat is that we desire and such as the Life is that is maintained by it such also is our eating of it But the Hunger that makes us desire this Meat is spiritual and the Meat we feed on here is spiritual and the Life that is nourished by it is spiritual and therefore our eating is only spiritual not corporal 6. Our Saviour doth put the matter out of question by expounding his meaning to them and declaring that this eating stands in believing Thus what he calls eating Hic edere Christum est credere in eum atque applicare eum magis magisque ad animos nostros Audita devorandus est intellectu ruminandus fide digerendus Tertul. de Resur Carnis Haec quoties agimus non dentes ad mordendum acuimus sed fide sincerè panem sanctum frangimus partimur Cyprian that he plainly expounds to be nothing else but believing and useth without difference the terms of Eating Coming Believing as synonimous or Words of the same Signification V. 35. here he useth Coming for Eating Believing for Drinking And the proper and natural Consequents of these words I am the Bread of Life are He that eateth me shall never hunger and he that drinketh me shall never thirst But he saith He that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst to teach us that he speaks of an eating and drinking which is by Faith. So Vers 47 48. he shews to eat in this Mystery is nothing else but to believe Now I have done with this Argument and from what is said I hope it may be plain and evident to us that our Saviour in this Sermon is not treating of the Sacrament and a sacramental eating and drinking of his Flesh and Blood but of a spiritual eating and drinking without the Sacrament and so here can be no colour of a Foundation for Transubstantiation Yet before I leave this I must add a word to prevent the mistaking of my meaning in what is here said as if I had denied that Believers in the participation of the Sacrament do spiritually eat and drink the Body and Blood of Christ This I have not said but that which I have asserted is That our Saviour in this Chapter is not treating of the Sacrament nor of eating and drinking his Flesh and Blood in the Sacrament Yet tho he doth not here speak of it Believers in the due use of the Sacrament do that which he here speaks of i. e. really and truly eat his Flesh and drink his Blood in the Sense here intended i. e. spiritually by Faith. There is a threefold eating as hath been hinted 1. Sacramentally only 2. Spiritually only Corpus Christi accipitur non Sacramentaliter tantum quod solum Symbolum sed simul spiritualiter quoad rem significatam 3. Sacramentally and Spiritually together And thus the Sacramental eating and drinking of the sacred Symbols when performed in a due manner by true Believers is ever accompanied with this spiritual eating And so tho in this whole Sermon he treats not of the Sacrament yet whatsoever he speaks in it of eating and drinking c. may be accommodated and applied to the Sacrament wherein I say this that our Lord presseth on the Jews is performed by all true Christians and without which the Sacrament is but an empty Ceremony Thirdly They argue from the words of our Saviour Mat. 19.26 With Men this is impossible but with God all things are possible From hence they say altho Transubstantiation be hard for Human Reason to understand yet it is not hard for Divine Omnipotence to effect And Christ made the Bread his Body by the same Omnipotent Power whereby the World was made and the Word was incarnate and made Flesh in the Womb of the Virgin. Thus they argue from the Divine Omnipotence and oppose Omnipotence to all the Absurdities Contradictions and Impossibilities that Transubstantiation is clogged with and exclaim against us as setting our natural Reason in opposition to the Omnipotence of Jesus Christ and even denying his Omnipotence because we deny their Transubstantiation This is their last Argument from the Scripture The Argument wherewith they do most delude simple People and draw them into a blind Belief of Transubstantiation and consequently to the Belief and Practice of all the Abominations and abominable Idolatries that are daily practised in the Mass Now in Answer to it I say 1st That we do not deny or once doubt of Christ's Omnipotence but constantly believe and openly profess according to the Scripture that Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he in Heaven and in Earth Psal 135.6 Eph. 3.20 in the Seas and all deep places And that he is able to do exceeding abundantly above that we ask or think But then 2dly A potentia ad actum seu a posse ad esse non valet consequentia We deny that it is warrantable to argue from the Power of Christ to the Act or being of a thing without sufficient Indications Significations and Evidences of his Will to perform such an Act or effect such a thing Or that because he can by his absolute Power do such
height of Delusion Men may be left to believe a Lie a Lie that hath scarce any Vail to cover it a Lie that hath no Sense or Reason in it a Lie that bears upon its Forehead monstrous Absurdities and portentous Contradictions Verily in this according as was foretold 2 Thess 2.11 we have a visible and tremendous Instance of one of the greatest depths of the Judgment of God upon them Let it warn to beware to watch and pray that we enter not into Temptation Some are confident enough and think they can never so far lose themselves as to take up the Doctrines and Practises of Rome But Sirs we have need to shake off Carnal Security to maintain a holy Fear and watchful Care and live in a continual dependence on God for preventing and preserving Grace and Help in an hour of Temptation and day of Tryal For if once we begin to warp but a little to leave God his Truth and Way and God leave us I know no Delusions so strange and monstrous but we may be given up to believe them even to this that is made up of nothing but portentous Absurdities c. 5. How just a Cause our blessed Martyrs in the Marian Days were engaged in and suffered for Some Protestant Pens and Tongues in our Days have made unhandsome and sinister Reflections upon that noble Army of Martyrs of whom the World was not worthy But a Reflection upon this monstrous Fiction that most of them went to the Stake and sacrificed themselves in Flames in opposition to is enough to clear their Innocency and justify them in their Sufferings in the Consciences of all that are not given over to a Reprobate Mind Secondly Transubstantiation sets before us matter of just Admiration And we may wonder and stand amazed 1. At the monstrous Impudency of the first Founders of it That ever Men bearing the Name of Christians should arrive at such a height of Impudence as to obtrude upon the Christian World the Entertainment and Belief of a Tale and feigned Devise so portentous and prodigious even beyond all the Poetical Fictions of the Pagans I may without any Breach of Charity pass the Censure on Transubstantiation that Ludovicus Vives passed on the Golden Legend viz. That it was written by a Man ferrei oris plumbei cordis who was lost to all Shame and whom nothing could dash out of Countenance So I say Transubstantiation was minted by Men to be wondered at for their Confidence and Impudence 2. At the lamentable Simplicity and Credulity of the first Receivers and Believers of it As it is a matter to be wondered at that any Men could be so impudent to invent it so it is no less wonderful that any Men should have been so very sottish and simple as to receive such a putid Trump into their Belief It is unimaginable how this could be possible if Men had been waking when it came upon them 3. At the horrible Induration of the present Supporters and Maintainers of it This is yet the greatest and most amazing Wonder of all that now after the breaking out of the clear Light of the Gospel and the frequent exposing of this Monster by such a number of learned Men of the Reformed Churches there should still any appear in the patronizing defence and supportation of it Here is infinite Cause to wonder and we might wonder our selves into an inextricable maze if the Holy Ghost had not given us a Clew to lead us out 2 Thess 2.11 Thirdly Transubstantiation presents unto us matter of Commiseration Matter that calls lowd on us for Bowels of Pity and Compassion towards Myriads of Souls in the Papacy 1. That have such grievous Impositions laid upon them and have no other choice left them but either to swallow down such Contradictions and monstrous Doctrines as this or to be sacrificed in merciless Flames 2. That are compassed about with such a thick Mist of Popish Darkness that they do not in the least see or discern this and other Mysteries of Iniquity that fill the Synagogues of Antichrist This is a most deplorable Case and God knows it is the Case of Multitudes at this day in the midst of the Papacy 3. That are running such infinite hazards of their Souls and eternal Estates from one Generation to another It is far from me to think of using that Uncharitableness towards them which they with one Consent practise against us viz. To pronounce all that are in that Communion to be in a State of Damnation This is a Piece of Cruelty that doth no way become Christians There is a Distinction to be made of Persons Times Places and Practices See the excellent Discourse of Mr. Durham on Revel 14. Lect. 3 about the Salvation of Papists But this I say they run an extreme Hazard on many accounts that live and dye in this Communion tho they do not give an explicite Assent to the complex Body of her Doctrine and Worship Even the Adoration of a piece of Bread rising out of Transubstantiation as very God is the grossest Idolatry that can be used Now in all these Respects the common Multitude are the Object of our Compassion and the Consideration of their hard and hazardous Condition should move our Pity Oh Christians Pity them and pray pray that God would open their Eyes reveal this great Mystery of Iniquity unto them and bring them out of Babylon where they are running such an Adventure Pray down the Antichristian State and pray home the poor lost Sheep into Christ's Fold that are in the Pope's Pinfold and Tents of Antichrist Fourthly Transubstantiation brings matter of great Gratitude and Thankfulness unto all our Doors Sirs when we think of this how can we be enough thankful unto our God for his Goodness 1. That we were brought forth from under the Clouds and Darkness of Popery and in the days of the glorious breakings out of the Gospel Diis gratias agere debeo non quia natus est mihi filius sed quod tuis temporibus ipsum nasci contingit When Alexander was born his Father Philip blessed the Gods not so much that he had a Son as that he had him in Aristotle's Days But how should we bless God for bringing us forth in Gospel-Times This is the Priviledge which that eminent German Divine Abraham Bucholâ—zer was so affected with that he always accounted it his great Happiness that he was born after the Light of the Gospel break forth and bred up under Melancthon And Chytreus acknowledged it as a singular Mercy that God had made him a Man a Christian and that he had his Education under those excellent Lights of the Church Luther and Melancthon Let this be thy Song O Christian and say with the Psalmist I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live Psal 104.33 I will sing Praise unto my God while I have my Being who hath brought me forth not in days covered with the dismal Darkness of Popery but crowned with a clear Discovery of the Gospel 2. That we have enjoyed a Freedom from these Popish Impositions while other poor Protestants have had bitter and bloody Storms falling on them If we look back to the last hundredth of Years now past who can reckon up a thousand Part of those Sufferings that have fallen heavily upon the French German Bohemian Hungarian Netherland Polish and Irish Protestants for refusing to admit of and submit to these things Oh! Transubstantiation and other Romish Abominations have cost Millions of Lives and Rivers of Blood while we have sat in a Calm and not once tasted of the Popish Fury and Cruelty 3. That to this day we are delivered from this and the many other grievous Impositions of Rome O what a Complication of Mercies have we in this one great Mercy that after all the Contrivances and Attempts of the Papists for this hundred years we may at this day set up our Stone and call it Eben-ezer saying 1 Sam. 7.12 Hitherto hath the Lord helped us Fifthly Transubstantiation doth moreover suggest unto us matter of daily Supplication and calls us to our Knees to beg with Eyes Hands and Hearts lifted up to Heaven for Protection Preservation and Deliverance from the return and re-enterance of the Religion of this degenerated and Apostate Church that brings this Monster in its Womb which if embraced will destroy and damn our Souls and if rejected will destroy and burn our Bodies to Ashes and cost us no less than our Souls or our Lives I find that there was in the Liturgy of Edward the sixth a Prayer to be delivered from the Usurpation Tyranny and Enormities of the Bishop of Rome which was afterwards taken out to take away as is said the Offence that it gave unto the Papists but verily how much soever it may offend them we have much need to put it into our daily Litanies or humble Supplications and to pray without ceasing that we may never fall back into that most woful lamentable and forlorn Estate that a Return of Popery will quickly plunge and sink us into The Pope solemnly curseth us upon Good-friday whereupon one prayed that he may so curse us still and never bless us more as he blessed us in Queen Marie's Time. To this Prayer let all that have any Love for their Religion any Detestation of the worst of Errors and Idolatries any Concernment for their Souls any Care of their Estates Lives and Posterities and would not run unspeakable Hazards for both Worlds say AMEN FINIS