are all partakers of that one bread Believers have Communion with a Crucified Saviour in this Ordinance by Faith in him and Love to him And our Saviour Christ and the Apostles gave both the Bread and the Wine unto all the Members that did partake as well to the Lay-People as to the Ecclesiasticks without any the least Exception in them words of our Saviour's command Drink ye all of it and you will hear that it is called Bread and breaking of Bread in several places of the Sacred Scripture Acts 2.42 And they continued stedfast in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers 1 Cor. 10.16 17. The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ For we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread that is Christ the Bread of Life Here it is said Communion with the Blood and with the Bread that is thus Believers have Communion with a crucified Redeemer and Communion and Fellowship one with another in that Holy Ordinance of the Lords Supper As you may see in the same Chapter 20 21. verses all those that make a Sacrifice of the Ordinance of the Lords Supper have fellowship with Devils But in the 17 verse there the true Gospel-Church is called Bread and so is Christ her Head also both the Head and the Body which is the Church are called Bread. And in Acts 20.7 And upon the first day of the week when the Disciples came together to break bread Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the morrow Thus you see it was called Bread and not Flesh both in the first Institution of the Ordinance by our Saviour Christ himself and likewise by the Apostles at the Celebration of this Holy Ordinance among the Disciples Therefore this eating of Christ's Body and drinking his Blood is to be understood no otherwise than our Saviour Christ intended and appointed it which was Spiritual and Sacramental for to commemorate his death and sufferings and all the blessed fruits and effects that do flow therefrom into the souls of Believers There is a feeding upon Christ in every Spiritual Gospel-Ordinance of God in Religious Worship and Discipline by Faith the Gospel-Ordinances are a feast of fat things full of marrow of wine from the lees well refined as the Prophet Isaiah calls it and on them the souls of Believers do feed and feast with and upon the Lord Jesus Christ And this feeding upon Christ's Body and drinking his Blood in the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper as well as in all other Ordinances of the Gospel aforesaid is to be done by faith as I have already proved for every believing soul doth live upon Christ by faith who is 〈…〉 of Scriptures to prove the veracity or truth of thâ— same and here following I shall lay down some feâ—â— Scriptures instead of many which do import anâ—â— clearly manifest the same and I will begin witâ—â— Joh. 8.24 I said therefore unto you that ye shall die 〈◊〉 your sins for if ye believe not that I am he ye shall dâ—â—â— in your sins 1 Joh. 3.23 And this is his Commanâ—ment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesâ—â— Christ Here is God the Father's command for iâ—â— Christ doth not say If you do not eat me Body Soul and Divinity ye shall die but if you do nâ—â— believe that I am he ye shall die in your sins because ye believed not that I am he because ye dâ—â— not obey me nor my Father's command as if ouâ—â— Saviour should have said Rom. 10.9 10. That 〈◊〉 thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shaâ—â— believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved for with the heart maâ—â— believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation Act. 16.30 31. Wheâ— the sturdy Jaylor was convinced he said Sirs Whaâ— must I do to be saved The Apostles did not tell him that he must go and eat Christ's substantial Body No but they told him that he must believe on thâ— Lord Jesus Christ and he should be saved and his house Joh. 12.46 I am come a light into the world thaâ— whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness Joh. 17.3 And this is Life Eternal that they might know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hasâ— sent How must they know God and Christ so aâ— they might have Eternal Life why only by believing in him Joh. 20.21 But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus ss the Christ the Son of God and believing ye might have life through his name Joh. 3.16 17 36. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life For God seâ—â— not his Son into the world to condemn the world but thaâ— the world through him might be saved He that believetâ— on the Son hath eternal life and he that believeth nâ—â— the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideâ— on him Joh. 5.24 Verily verily I say unto you 〈◊〉 that believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting lifâ— and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life Joh. 6.29 Jesus answered and faâ—â— unto them This is the work of God that ye believe 〈◊〉 him whom he hath sent Thus you see dear Sir that I have answered yoâ— fully and clearly and I have faithfully prove from the Holy Bible which is my only Library and also I have proved from Reason for God deaâ—eth with us as Rational Creatures that our Saviour Christ is to be eaten and drunken by faith and iâ— love Spiritually and Sacramentally in that Hoâ—â— Ordinance of the Lords-Supper for it is a Lovâ— feast in remembrance of the greatest love that 〈…〉 gave his only begotten Son to die for it and this â—ove of Christ that was stronger than death we are â—o commemorate in that Ordinance by feeding by â—aith upon a Crucified Saviour and not to eat him Corporeally and Substantially in his Person as you of the Roman Catholick Perswasion do vainly pretend to believe and imagine the Lord inlighten your minds in the true Knowledg of Christ and sanctifie your understandings and change your wills and make you willing in the day of his power for this is a very dangerous gross Error and such a one as cannot be parallell'd but in the case of the poor blind Jews for by this Doctrine of Personal Priests and Material Altars and Sacrifices you do put your selves back from under the Gospel dispensation and lay your selves under the Mosaical Law and the consequence of it is this it is inevitably and clearly a down-right denying Jesus Christ being come in the Flesh Pray Sir Consider what I have said and so
that the Holy Scriptures were true and that their Redeemer that was revealed in them ever liveth and did make satisfaction and intercession to God the Father for them Ay and he was with them and in them at the Gibbet and in the very Flames as he was with the three Worthies of old in the fiery Furnace Dan. 3.25 He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the son of God. I hope by this time you are not only persuaded that the Scriptures that we Protestants do profess and own were not the invention of Man but also you are satisfied of the veracity or truth of them That they are not invented by men of any sort but are indeed and in truth the Holy Word of God. But lest you should be yet staggering or stumbling for further corroboration I will add Eight Arguments and I will draw a parallel between our Scripture which we Protestants do profess and believe to be the Word of God and the Scriptures of Antichrist 1. First of all my first Argument shall be this If the Holy Bible does not give the least indulgence or countenance to any kind of Sin and Iniquity whatsoever then the Scriptures must be the revealed Will and Word of God But the Holy 〈…〉 we Protestants of all sorts do own and believe to be the Word of God does not give the least Indulgence or Countenance unto any kind of Sin or Iniquity Therefore the Holy Scriptures must be the Word of God and not the Invention of men Secondly If the Scriptures were not made by bad men nor invented by Good men then it must be infallibly the word of the true and living God. But you see clearly proved that the Scriptures were not made by bad men nor invented by good men therefore they must be the Word of the living and true God and made by him without the help of man. 3. Thirdly If the Scriptures do not in the least degree discourage and discountenance Grace and Holiness but is the promoter of it then the Scriptures must be the Holy Word of God. But the Scriptures do not in the least degree discourage or discountenance Grace and Holiness but do promote it in the hearts of Believers Therefore the Holy Scriptures must be the infallible Word of God not the word of Man nor of Mans making or inventing 4. Fourthly If the Scriptures teach all Goodness and Virtue Moral and Divine both for Body and Soul and Detect and Condemn all manner of Evil which is hurtful to Body and Soul both temporal and spiritual Evils and gives righteous Rules to Men to walk by and shews them what is Good and how they should demean themselves in every Relation Station and Condition from the Prince upon the Throne unto him that grindeth at the Mill and teacheth the Prince how to Rule and Govern in Righteousness and Peace and teacheth the People how to be governed in the fear of the Lord and to obey them that have the Rule over them not for Wrath but for Conscience-sake and all for the Good and Weal both of Prince and People Then surely the Scriptures must be the Word of God and not the Word of Men. But the Holy Scriptures which we Protestants do own and believe to be the word of God do teach all Goodness and Virtue Moral and Divine both for Body and Soul and Detect and Condemn all manner of Evil which is hurtful to Body and Soul both temporal and spiritual Evils and gives righteous Rules to Men to live and walk by and shews them what is Good and how they should demean themselves in every Relation Station and Condition from the Prince upon the Throne unto him that grindeth at the Mill and teacheth the Prince how to Rule and Govern in Righteousness and Peace and teacheth the People how to be governed in the fear of the Lord and to obey them which have the Rule over them not for Wrath but for Conscience-sake and all for the Good and Weal both 〈…〉 which we Protestants of all sorts do profess and believe must be the Word of God and not the Word of Men nor of Mens Invention 5. Fifthly If the Scriptures had been invented by any sort of sinful men whatsoever then certainly that sinful man would have made provision for the flesh and given Indulgence to his own sin and lusts for it is natural for every one to be kind to themselves and to cherish that which they love But the Holy Scriptures do no not give the least Indulgence or Countenance unto any one particular Sin or Immorality in the whole Book of God from the first of Genesis unto the last of Revelations but the whole Current of the Scriptures is bent against it Therefore the Scriptures were not the Invention of man but must be the Word of God. 6. Sixthly If the Scriptures in all Ages have been the Object of wicked and ungodly mens rage and malice which have caused them to persecute those persons to the very Death that have been the strictest Professors of it then it could not be wicked men that made and invented the Scriptures But the Holy Scriptures in all Ages have been the Object of wicked and ungodly mens Rage and Malice which have caused them to persecute those persons to the very Death that have been the strictest Professors of it Therefore it could not be wicked and ungodly men that made or invented the Holy Scriptures But it must be the Word of God. 7. Seventhly If wicked men had made and invented the Scriptures Satan having the Government and Conduct of them and they being acted and influenced and led by his Spirit as a Good man is acted and influenced and led by the Holy Ghost for Satan ruleth in the Hearts of the Children of Disobedience for he is their Father John 8.44 Ye are of your father the Devil and the lusts of your father ye will do he was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own for he is a lyar and the father of it Now I say if the Children of the Devil had made the Scriptures they would have been tender and favourable unto their Father's Kingdom and Interest and have given some Countenance unto it and not have made the whole bent and stream of the Scriptures against it and afford no manner of Indulgence to themselves who are the Devil's Subjects or Vassals or rather his Bond-slaves indeed nor no manner of Relief or Support to his Kingdom But are made against all Heresie and all other Iniquity which is that wherein the strength of the Devil's Kingdom lieth then surely the Holy Scriptures must be the Word of God and not 〈…〉 But the Holy Scriptures which we Protestants do own and believe to be the Word of God are against all Heresie and all other Iniquity whatsoever
A FRIENDLY DEBATE BETWEEN A Roman Catholick AND A PROTESTANT Concerning the Doctrine of TRANSUBSTANTIATION WHEREIN The said Doctrine is utterly Confuted and Antichrist is clearly and fully Described and his inevitable Destruction predicted With a Challenge to all the Romish Doctors that Preach and Teach the said Doctrine to Answer it LICENSED September 24. 1688. LONDON 〈…〉 A FRIENDLY DEBATE BETWEEN A Roman Catholick AND A PROTESTANT CONCERNING THE Doctrine of TRANSUBSTANTIATION c. PRotestant Sir Do you believe that there is a Real Change wrought upon the Elements of Bread and Wine after they are Consecrated by the Priest in the Sacrament of the Eucharist into the Substantial Material Living Body and Blood of Christ which makes up his Real Person to wit of Body Soul and Divinity Roman Catholick Yes Sir I do believe that the Elements are Transubstantiated into the very living person of Christ to wit of Body Soul and Divinity that is into the very same Body which he assumed before he died the same Body in which he suffered and died upon the Cross without the Gates of Jerusalem the same Body that laid in the Grave three days and the very same Body in which he ascended up into Glory and is sat down at the right hand of God in Glory Prot. I must confess Sir according to the genuine sense of your Doctrine of Transubstantiation it must be so or else it is a mere sham and mockery For if the Elements be Transubstantiated into the very Body Soul and Divinity of Christ and then be offered up a sacrifice propitiatory and sufficient for the sins of the living and the dead then Christ must be alive or else you do offer a dead sacrifice But I do utterly deny it and therefore Sir I 〈…〉 Rom. Yes Sir I will prove it by Scripture from our Saviour Christ's own words and also from the words of the Apostle St. Paul. Prot. Pray Sir let me hear that Rom. First of all I shall prove it from our Saviour Christ himself by the words of Institution when he Instituted this Ordinance of the Sacrament of the Eucharist Luke 22.19 20. And as they were cating Jesus took bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to the Disciples and said Take eat this is my Body Likewise the cup after supper saying This cup is the new-testament in my blood Matt. 26.26 27 28. And as they were eating Jesus took bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to the Disciples and said Take eat this is my body And he took thâ— cup and gave thanks and gave it to them for this â—â— my blood of the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins And in John 6.52 53 54 I am the living bread which came down from heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for every And the bread that I will give is my flesh which I wiâ—â— give for the life of the world Then Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you except ye eat thâ—â— flesh of the son of man and drink his blood ye have 〈◊〉 life in you Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh mâ— blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at thâ— last day Thus you see I have clearly 〈◊〉 〈…〉 That it is Christ's Real Body and Blood that we do eat and drink in the Sacrament of the Eucharist And secondly I shall prove this Doctrine from the Apostle St. Paul's words also in the 1 Cor. 11.24.25 where he saith Take Eat this is my Body which is broken for you After the same manner also he took the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood. Thus you see I have proved this Doctrine of Transubstantiation by Scripture and I could also prove it by Councils and Decrees and Canons and Traditions of our Fathers and the like And besides all that has been said it is an Article of the faith of our Church which is infallible and cannot err And we are bound to believe as the Church believes and commands us to believe And therefore this Doctrine must be infallibly true Prot. Sir is this all that you have to say to prove this Doctrine of your Infallible Church Rom. Yes Sir and I think it is a sufficient proof of it too Prot. Why then I pray Sir Give me leave to answer you as well as I can from Scripture and from Reason also Rom. Yes Sir with all my Heart Prot. Why first of all Sir in the first place give me leave to tell ye you have not taken the whole verses or sentence in some of these Scriptures which you have quoted you have gone away with part of a Text even so far as will serve your turn which is a very dangerous thing for it is no less than to clip the King of Heavens Coyn which is Spiritual High Treason which is the worst of Treason and is punishable with no less than all the Curses of the Book of the Holy Word of God without true Repentance Rev. 22.18 19. Deut. 4.2 Prov. 30.6 Sir you know Satan when he tempted our Blessed Saviour Christ he quoted part of a Text of Scripture to serve his own turn Matth. 4.5 6. Then the Devil taketh him up into the holy City and setteth him on a pinacle of the Temple and saith unto him If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down for it is written He shall give his Angels charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone 'T is written saith Satan quoting Psal 91.11 12. for he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways they shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone The Devil leaves out that part of the Text to wit He shall keep thee in all thy ways Sir you do own and believe these Scriptures which you have quoted to be understood literally and properly and not Mystically and Spiritually but according to the plain letter of them Rom. Yes Sir I do for the Text is plain and clear Prot. Now Sir I will answer you from the words of our Saviour Christ in the same Chapters and in some of the same verses which you have quoted and also from the words of the Apostle Paul in that same Chapter which you have made use of and also in many other places of the Holy Scriptures whereby you shall see by God's assistance this Doctrine of yours overthrown and utterly confuted therefore let us bring it to the Touchstone of Gods Word To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isa 8.20 1. First of all By the words of our Blessed and only Mediator and Redeemer in Luk. 22.19 20. And he took Bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave it unto them saying
as well as he is the Infallible Head of the Church for who can give a better interpretation or Exposition of the Law than the Law-maker can therefore no person can understand or give a right Interpretation of the Holy Scriptures but them to whom Christ gives this gift and that is to many thousands to some more and some less some have a higher measure than others it is given to every believer which is a spiritual man to know the mystery of Gods will in the Salvation of poor sinners for saith Christ It is given to you to know the mystery of the Kingdom but unto them it is not God hides these things from the wise and prudent and revealeth them unto babes saith Christ 1 Cor. 2.14 15. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned But he that is spiritual judgeth all things Here you see who is the chief Judg of the Scriptures and who are Missionaries or whom he has Commissionated so â—o do not any one single person above the rest But â—o return to what we are upon Joh. 3.3 4. Jesus â—nswered and said unto him Verily verily I say unto â—â—ee Except a man be born again he cannot see the â—â—ingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him How can 〈◊〉 man be born again when he is old can he enter the second time into his mothers womb and be born This is â—â—st as the unbelieving Jews that said How can this â—â—an give us his flesh to eat And old Nicodemus notwithstanding he was a great Rabbi and Ruler in Israel yet he had like to have gone away under as â—â—eat a mistake about the Doctrine of Regeneration 〈◊〉 you Romanist have done of this mystical saying of â—â—r Saviour Christ's in that he hath said Take Eat â—â—is is my Body and of giving his flesh to eat and â—â—s blood to drink Now pray observe how nearly alike our Saviour Christ interprets and expounds this Doctrine of Reâ—â—neration unto Nicodemus in the 5th and 6th verses â—â—sus answered Verily verily I say unto thee Except man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enâ—â— into the Kingdom of God that which is born of the 〈◊〉 is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit â—â—w see the 6. Joh. 63. and compare them togeâ—â—r It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth â—â—hing the words that I speak unto you they are spirit 〈◊〉 they are life Here you see all the carnal fleshly â—â—â—eption or Transubstantiated fancy utterly overâ—â—wn and knockt in the head in these words of â—â—aviour Christ as well as that also of Nicodemus's â—â—al conception of the Doctrine of Regeneration 〈…〉 understood mystically and Spiriâ—â—◠〈…〉 eaten by faith in every Ordinance of God in Religious worship and especially in the Ordinance of the Lords-Supper for faith is the mouth of the new creature the great grace of faith is the souls Nurse but it feeds upon Christ and lives upon Christ which is this spiritual Bread which came down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die And so likewise our Saviour gives the like interpretation of the graces of the Spirit in the Believer much after the same manner which are compared to rivers of living water in Joh. 7.37 38 39. In the last day that great day of the Feast Jesus stood and cried saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink And pray mind what the drink is that Christ giveth him He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But pray mind what Exposition our Blessed Redeemer gives in the following verses But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive You see this drinking here is by faith in Christ and the liquor which they drink is spiritual liquor it is the water of life Now if these Scriptures are to be understood literally and properly then you must understand the Contexts and the Coherence of them literally and properly also for Christ does not as I remember speak a whole sentence wherein one part wholly contains spiritual matter and the other part wholly contains a literal and proper meaning in it tho one whole sentence may have both a mystical and literal meaning in it Now pray mind in Joh. 6.35 50. And Jesus said unto them I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth in me shall never thirst Now is not here the very same reason to believe that we shall never be corporally a hungry nor a thirst again as there is for us to believe that that is material bread or flesh that Christ spake of in the same verse Again this is the bread which cometh down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die Now is not here as much reason to believe and understand this literally and properly as there is for any of the other to be understood so and if the rest be to be understood so then they that eat Christ's flesh and drink his blood shall never die a natural death Again if this Doctrine in Joh. 6. be to be understood literally and properly then must the Doctrine of Regeneration be understood so in Joh. 3. And if so then none should ever see the Kingdom of God nor enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and be saved but them and them only that crept into their mothers womb and were born again literally and properly as old Nicodemus ignorantly imagined There is every whit as much reason to believe this as there is to believe your Doctrine of Transubstantiation Pray mind the Interrogation of Nicodemus and that of the Jews how like they are the one to the other 〈…〉 is old c. Secondly the Jews they said How can this man give us his flesh to eat Now if these Scriptures in Joh. 3. and in Joh. 6. are to be taken and the sense of them expounded literally in the plain letter of the word then must this of Joh. 7.38 be understood so in like manner where it is said that rivers of living water shall flow out of the Believers belly and we might as rationally expect that Scullers should ply the Ferry at every believers belly in these rivers of living water and also that every believer has crept into his mothers womb and been born again as to believe that the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper after Consecration is Transubstantiated into the Body Soul and Divinity of our Saviour Christ which is into his very person But what will become of all those poor souls whose mothers are dead before they are or were converted that have never a mothers womb to creep into for I will assure you that the one is as true as the other let who will deny or contradict it And thus you do
at the day of Judgment That light is come â—nto the world and men love darkness rather than â—ight because their deeds are evil they hear of Christ but will not come and believe in him nor reign up the conduct and government of their souls â—nto him and this Ordinance of the Lords-Supper 〈◊〉 to quicken and strengthen the believers graces and 〈◊〉 shew forth the transcendent wisdom and grace of â—od in contriving and bringing to pass this blessed â—ork of mans Redemption by his only begotten â—n Jesus Christ This holy Ordinance may be compared with â—â—ly reverence unto a tender hearted loving Husband that is just taking his leave of his dearly beâ—â—ed Wife and going some long voyage by Sea or â—â—he tedious journey by Land And at his departure when he taketh his leave of his wife he saith 〈…〉 long time from thee therefore I will leave this Diamond Ring or this precious Jewel with thee as a Token of my intire love and affections unto thee for thee to remember me during my absence until I return unto thee again But when he returneth his Wife hath no need of the Ring or Jewel to remember him by because he himself is now personally present with her why even so our Lord Jesus Christ our Head and Husband just the very night in which he was betrayed leaves this Ordinance this precious Jewel with his Spouse the Church as a Love-token for to remember him by during his absence while he is personally sitting at the right hand of God the Father as you may observe from them words of our Saviour Do this in remembrance of me The true Catholick Apostolick Church is Christ's Spouse Cant. 5.1 I am come into my Garden my Sistor my Spouse and Christ is the Church's Husband Isa 54.5 For thy maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his name and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Isael the God of the whole Earth shall he be called But if this Doctrine of Transubstantiation in your sense be true viz. that the Bread and Wine is Transubstantiated into the very person of Christ namely into Body Soul and Divinity which makes up the compleat person of Christ as much now as he was before and after his Death and Resurrection and as much as he will be at the great day of Judgment for he will be then in Body Soul and Divinity but there will not be one soul that will even dare to stand by and own this strange Doctrine in that day any otherwise than to abhor it and to be ashamed of it And Christ is in Body Soul and Divinity now at the right hand of God in Glory But if this Doctrine of yours be true That Christ is Personally and Corporeally present every time that the Priest saith the Mass Then first in the first place It will consequentially follow that either the Priest maketh a new Christ every time the Mass is said and so we have one Christ personally in Heaven and they have thousands of Christs personally upon Earth Or Secondly They fetch down Christ materially personally from the right hand of God the Father And if so then in the third place Christ has no time at all in Heaven with the Father I call it time in Heaven for distinction sake to intercede and plead as an Advocate and Mediator with God the Father for sinners all his time would be taken up and spent in attending upon the Priests every time they say Mass in all those many remote places round the Globe almost which takes in their Mass-hours perhaps all the four and twenty Hours being upon several Horrizons Fourthly If this Doctrine be true then Christ is come and then this Ordinance ceases to be as I conceive and there needs no such thing to remember him by or to shew 〈…〉 swade him to stay when he is come in your Mass for according to your Doctrine there is a compleat Christ that cometh in the Mass every time it is said for when Christ doth come from the right hand of God to judg the quick and the dead as you your selves do confess and own in your own Creed to my own certain knowledg which I shall have occasion to speak more of by and by for Christ will come then in no other manner as to his person than in Body Soul and Divinity if he went to Heaven so he will come again so as you may see Act. 1.11 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 Now if Christ be thus come then I humbly conceive this Ordinance should be at an end for when once the substance is come then the shadows must flee away and cease to be for what need the children of the Bride-chamber mourn when the Bridegroom shall come again to them and be with them for ever for what need a man have any thing to put him in mind or to remember a friend that is always present with him and is always before his eyes Why when Christ doth come his people shall see him eye to eye Isa 52.8 and Rev. 1.7 Behold he cometh in the Clouds and every eye shall see him And they also which pierced him that shall be both Jews and Gentiles Zech. 12.10 Again thirdly the same Apostle saith That Christ was to be offered up but once and he gives this as one reason of it viz. for saith he If he had been offered up often then must he have suffered often since the foundation of the world And the Apostle Peter whom some do count Prince of the Apostles saith That Christ suffered once 1 Pet. 3.18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sin the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the spirit Mark ye it was the humane flesh or body of Christ that suffered and died and not his Godhead for that is not capable of suffering I pray Sir observe these following Scriptures and believe them Heb. 9.25 26 28. For Christ is not entered into the holy place made without hands which are the forerunners of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us nor yet that he should offer himself often as the high Priests entered into the holy place every year with the blood of others for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world But now in the end of the world hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself So Christ was once offered to bear the sin of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto Salvation Here you see Christ was ordained and appointed to be offered up but once and that was a sufficient sacrifice for sin in the wisdom and account of God but you 〈◊〉 once offering up himself
was not a sufficient Sacrifice for the sins of his people and therefore you 〈◊〉 offer up Christ often even as often as the Mass said as a Sacrifice sufficient and propitiatory for tâ—â— sin of the living and the dead which is to profâ—â— that you do know God but in works you deny hâ—â— at the highest rate that ever can be imagined by aâ—â— that ever called themselves Christians for you sâ—â— it clearly proved that as often as Christ is offeâ—â— up so often must he suffer and if it be so wâ—â— then how many millions of times must Christ haâ—â— suffered by your Priests since this opinion has beâ—â— broacht in the world among you that the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper is a Sacrifice and thâ— you do offer up Christ in the Mass in Body Soul aâ—â— Divinity a Sacrifice sufficient and propitiatory fâ—â— the sins of the living and the dead and is not thâ— to say plainly that Christ's Sacrifice of himself wâ—â— not a sufficient and propitiatory Sacrifice for the sin of his people nothing can speak bolder and plainâ—â— than this does Again fourthly Let us hear furthermore whâ—â— the Apostle St. Paul saith who himself lived 〈◊〉 Rome which is more than I can understand thâ—â— ever the Prince of the Apostles did I cannot saâ—â— that St. Paul never dreamed of this new-found Doctrine of yours but yet this I am sure in the fiâ—â— place that he never taught any such kind of Doctrine there And secondly That he did see in his daâ—â— by a Prophetick Spirit that there would be such 〈◊〉 Doctrine brought after his time which I shâ—â— prove anon But to our purpose before us Heb. 〈◊〉 9 10 11 12 13. Then said he Lo I come to do 〈◊〉 will O God He taketh away the first that he may establish the second By the which will ye are sanctiâ—â— through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once 〈◊〉 all And every Priest standeth dayly ministring offing oftentimes the same sacrifice which can never 〈◊〉 away sin But this man after he had effered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down at the right haâ—â— God expecting till his enemies be made his footâ—â— But why is it said that Christ is expecting till 〈◊〉 enemies be made his footstool Why Christ repects it because God the Father hath determined 〈◊〉 promised it in Psal 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lâ—â— sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies footstool This does unavoidably lead me to a digrâ—â— on therefore Sir I must beg leave of you for 〈◊〉 present to pursue this digression But I will certainly meet you again anon upon the same Topâ—â— and discourse out the point with you In the first place God the Father hath said 〈◊〉 Christ his only Son Sit thou at my right hand 〈◊〉 I make thine enemies thy footstool God the Fâ—◠〈…〉 of all his Enemies why it must be infallibly him that opposeth Christ most And pray who is that Why It is the Man of sin Antichrist His very Titles as well as his Characters and Practises signifie the same It is he that is gotten into the Temple of God and claims a power and soveraignty over Kings and Rulers and over Mens souls and Consciences But he is but a Usurper for he exalts himself unto that Power and Dominion for it is a power that properly and peculiarly belongeth unto Jesus Christ for it is he that is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the only Ruler of Princes Rev. 19.16 Rev. 17.14 1 Tim. 6.15 Prov. 8.15 16. By me Kings reign and Princes decree justice by one Princes Rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the earth Here you see whose right it is to Rule over Kings and Princes and Judges of the Earth Ay and Christ is to have this power restored unto him again because God the Father hath promised it unto him And also it is his right in Ezck. 21.27 I will overturn overturn overturn it and it shall be no more until he come whose right it is and I will give it him Rev. 17.16 17. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast these shall hate the whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall cather flesh and burn her with fire for God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will. I am apt to think that this is Antichrist's will which they fulfil and to agree and give their Kingdom to the Beast until the Word of God shall be fulfilled Dan. 8.25 He shall stand up against the Prince of Princes but he shall be broken without hands Isa 47.8 9 10 11. Rev. 18.7 8. And that which is to antecede or go before the destruction of Antichrist to usher it in upon him you have in Rev. 16.17 18 19 20 21. Here is already or will be suddenly a threefold division among them and strange unusual thunder and lightning and fire and great hail of that magnitude that it will be sufficient to knock down an Ox and great earthquakes both literal and metaphorical But you will ask me who this Antichrist the Man of sin is why my answer in the genral is this That the Apostle Paul has described him and set several infallible marks upon him that he may easily be distinguished from all other persons in the World he is the head of the many Antichrists which did Apostatize from the true Gospel Worship Doctrine and Discipline he is the chief head and promoter of all wickedness and therefore called the Man of sin by way of Eminency as you may see in that famous descriminating Chapter 2 Thess 2.2 3 4. Here the Apostle brings it in by way of caution to the Christians of that day and in the spirit of Prophesie also viz. that ye be not soon shaken in mind or troubled neither by Spirit nor by Word nor by Letter as 〈…〉 that the 〈◊〉 Christ is at hand Pray hath had his day for as Antichrist hath sat upon Christ's Throne viz. the Temple of God and made his people his footstool which is indeed to make Christ his footstool for what is done to his people is done to himself As you may see in the Case of this Apostle Paul when he was a Persecutor Acts 9. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Who art thou Lord I am Jesus whom thou persecutest Why so Christ will depose the man of sin and take the Throne himself and make Antichrist his footstool for if Antichrist will exalt himself above all that is called God and sit in the seat of God himself then he must be abased and made Christ's footstool For the Word of God saith He that exalteth himself shall be abased And therefore Antichrist must be made Christ's footstool for Christ in his day of Exaltation will debase this Usurper and tread him under his feet But to return to what I was upon let no man deceive you by any means for that shall not come except there come a falling away first
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
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
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
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
wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect Behold I have told you before Wherefore if they shall say unto you Behold he is in the desert go not forth behold he is in the secret chambers believe it not And Antichrist was to arise and come with all Power and Signs and Lying Wonders saith the Apostle which is the same character which our Saviour gives of him This desert where these false Christs are I take it to be a Church or People professing the name of Christ in words but deny him in works being abominable disobedient and unto every good work reprobate Titus 1.16 They are a Company of Deserters that have deserted Christ and run from the true Christian Colours for you see they are a sort of nominal Christians that do own Christ's Name but they do follow another Jesus as I have already shewed from the Apostles words 2 Cor. 11.4 They are a people that have deserted Christ's Standard who himself is Generalissimo of all the Christian spiritual Soldiers or Army But these false Prophets and others are those that are gone over to Antichrist who is Head and Generalissimo of all the many Antichrists and Apostates Now that our Saviour Christ prophesied here of Antichrist's rising it appeareth to me to be as clear as the Sun that shineth in the firmament because the Apostle hath laid down the very same Character of Antichrist and his Disciples and false Prophets as our Saviour had done before for our Redeemer saith that there should arise false Christs and false Prophets which should shew great signs and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very elect And the Apostle saith that the Man of sin Antichrist should come after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish Our Saviour saith consequentially Signs and Wonders and Deceit And the Apostle also saith Signs Wonders and Deceit If it were passible they shall deceive the very elect saith our Saviour that is by their great Signs and Lying Wonders They shall come with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish saith the Apostle And then here followeth their desertion of the Standard of Christ their General Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved Here they first desert God and then God deserts them as you may see in those following words of the Apostle as I have already proved And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believe not the truth That is those who believe not the Gospel of God in opposition to this lie but had pleasure in unrighteousness Surely then this must needs be a dreadful desert when a Church or people desert and leave God And God doth cast off them and desert and leave them this I humbly conceive to be the meaning of our Saviour Christ in Matt. 24. which does agree and suit so well with that of the Apostle Paul's description of Antichrist the Man of Sin this is that desert where these swarms of false Christs and false Prophets are and do reside it is a deserted false worship And hear again what is said in 1 John 2.18 19. with which Scripture I shall close this Head and so go on towards the finishing of this Discourse Little children it is the last time and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time There be the false Prophets which Christ tells us should arise and show great signs and wonders to deceive the credulous people And here followeth their Apostatizing or Desertion to wit They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us But they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us Thus you see that this Doctrine of yours is not true and your Tronsubstantiated Christ is but a false Christ and of the number of those Christs that are out in the Desart Now I pray Sir do not take it amiss that I deal thus plainly with you nor do not think much of my repeating over some things that have been mentioned under former Heads for you know in a trial at Law among Men you have often one and the same thing repeated over and over by the Witnesses and others c. Ay and we have it so in Scripture also in many places and in many cases and I will give you one which relates unto this our Tryal or Discourse Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel Which is not another but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ But tho we or an angel frem heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again If any man preach aâ— other gospel unto you than that ye have received 〈◊〉 him be accursed And what the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 say I and let all good men say Amen to it 3. Thirdly If this Doctrine of yours be truâ—â— then after Consecration as you call it there would appear all the lineaments of a Man visibly to aâ— the spectators with all the faculties of a Man for 〈◊〉 was Christ when he was here upon Earth personallâ— in Body Soul and Divinity before he laid dowâ— his Life and after he took it up again viz. after he arose again from the dead Luke 24.39 Behoâ—â— my hands and my feet that it is I my self handle 〈◊〉 and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see 〈◊〉 have If this Doctrine of yours be really truâ— why then it would necessarily follow that all thâ— spectators as well as the partakers would be satisfied that it is so and not an imaginary fancy for such is the nature of Miracles as you see haâ—â— been clearly proved by several instances both from Scripture and Reason which do witness the trutâ— of it 4. Fourthly If this Doctrine of Transubstantiation in your sense be true viz. That Christ is iâ—â— tire in his person with all the lineaments and facuâ—ties of Man after Consecrating the Elements in thâ— Sacraments then Sir I would fain know what 〈◊〉 the Reason that he doth not speak or what should hinder or impede Christ from speaking personally and vocally now as well as he did to his Disciple after he arose from the dead when they were under doubts and fears whether it was he or no wheâ— he said unto them Why are ye troubled and why 〈◊〉 thoughts arise in your hearts Behold my hands and mâ—â— feet that it is I my self handle me and see for a spirâ—â— hath
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