pretended he is in the Sacrifice of the Mafs) like thofe Sacrifices which were offered by the Jewish High Priefts; who, having Infirmities, offered them up (e) first for themselves, and then for the People; but Chrift, who was by an Oath made an High Prieft, and confecrated or perfected for ever, had no Need to do this for himself; and as for his doing it for the People, he did that, when he offered up himself once, and thereby perfected for ever them that are fanctified. And yet, I fay, that unless the Elements are tranfubftantiated, as the Papifts exprefs it, into the Divinity, as well as the Humanity or corporal Prefence of Christ, the Reason they give, why they adore the Hoft, viz. because God only is there, and not the Elements of Bread and Wine, ceafes.

But now comes in the Affiftance of Miracles! For though this cannot be naturally affected, yet the Church of Rome tells us, they believe it nevertheless really performed, by the omnipotent Power of God; which they think they are fufficiently authorised to believe, both can and does effect it, from what the Scripture (which both they and we acknowledge to be a Divine Revelation) declares concerning this Matter; where our Saviour, the Word and Son of God, fays, That the Bread and Wine is his Body and Blood; and therefore, fince he who was Truth itfelf, has faid, That it is his Body and Blood, it must most certainly be fo; and from thence they believe, that what could not be done according to

(e) Heb. vii. 27. 21, 28. 27. X. 24.

the

brought about by the miraculous and over-ruling Power of the God of Nature. To which I anfwer, That the Scripture is most certainly a Divine Revelation, and therefore that all the Declarations therein made are undoubtedly true! If then it be declared in Scripture, that the Bread and Wine which our Saviour at the Inftitution of the Sacrament took, brake, and gave to his Difciples; and which was taken, eaten, and drank by them in his Prefence, was really the very natural Body and Blood of him, who was then lying or fitting by them at the Table, alive, unbroken, and uncrucified; and who was at the fame Time fpeaking to them; and that those Words, This is my Body, and this is my Blood, were spoken in a literal, and not in a figurative Sense; and were intended to be ynderftood in a natural, and not with an allegorical or metaphocal Meaning; then indeed it must be true, that it was his very natural Body and Blood, which was then swallowed down their Throats into their Stomachs, while he was yet, and for fome Time after, at the Table preaching to them that Divine Sermon contained in the thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, fixteenth and seventeenth Chapters of St. John's Gofpel; and who fome Time after went to Gethsemane, and was there in Perfon arrefted by the Officers of the High Prieft, and afterwards crucified, and put to the most exquifite Torments, and the moft fhameful and ignominious Death; whilft thofe other Parts, or Wholes, of him that the Difciples had eaten and drank, were intirely fafe, free from Tortures,

and

and out of Harm's Way; being run away with, when his Disciples forfook him and fled! But to be serious; if it be not true from Scripture, that his Words are to be taken in a literal Senfe according to the Popish Explanation of them, then it is not true, that the Bread and Wine which he took into his Hands, and delivered to his Difciples, to be by them taken, eaten, and drank, were transubstantiated into the very natural Body and Blood of him, who fo took and delivered them; and confequently, that in Reality the Elements or Subftance of Bread and Wine did ftill remain in their true and natural State, after he had bleffed or confecrated them to the fpiritual Ufe and Benefit of his Difciples, who (f) were often to eat and drink the facramental Bread and Wine in Remembrance of his most exalted Love in dying for them and for all Mankind. And if this can be proved, it will follow, that fince the Elements that were bleffed or confecrated by our Saviour himself, who was confeffedly God, and had an omnipotent Power to do whatever he pleafed, or thought neceffary, (Contradictions as before-mentioned excepted) did, after they were fo bleffed or confecrated, ftill remain Bread and Wine in their natural State; I fay, it will follow, that no other fubfequent Confecration, by any Chriftian Priest or Minifter whatsoever, can tranfubftantiate them into Chrift; because no Confecration can be more operative than that of our Saviour himfelf; for what he said in another Cafe, will cer

(f) Luke xxii. 19, 20.

I Cor. xi. 24, 25.

tainly

Sent is not greater than he that fent him; from whence we may be affured, that no Prieft or Minifter of the Chriftian Religion can perform greater Miracles than the Author thereof. And therefore (whatever the Communicant may think) he that adores thofe Symbols or outward Signs, is guilty of Idolatry, because he adores that which ftill remains a Creature, notwithstanding its Confecration. It remains then, that I prove that the Words of the Inftitution were not spoken in a literal, but in a figurative Senfe; not according to the Popish, but according to the Proteftant Explanation of them! which I fhall do, by obferving, first, That our Saviour's Manner of fpeaking was always extremely elegant and rhetorical; and filled with all the Figures ufually practifed by the most learned Perfons; a Thing obferved of him by the Jews, who being amazed at the Eloquence and Force of his Doctrine, and the mighty Energy of his Divine Difcourfes, cried out, How knoweth this Man Letters, having never learnt? So that it is no Wonder to find him making ufe, at that Time, of a figurative Expreffion, which was a Thing he fo commonly practifed in his general Discourses. And, fecondly, that when he had any Thing extraordinary to inculcate upon the Minds of his Difciples, which he intended they should take the greater Notice of; it was ufual for him to make use of such figurative Expreffions, as could not but excite their Attention the more to what

(g) John xiii. 16.

F

he

he had a mind fhould remain in their ThoughtsAs when he was defirous of informing them, that there was no Way of coming to God, but by him; he tells them, He is the Door; the good Shepherd; that it is he that leads and fecures, and lays down his Life for, his Sheep; i. e. that it is by him alone, and by his Merits and Interceffion (not by the pretended Merits and Interceffion of others, who are Hirelings) that God will be reconciled to us. Not that he defired they should believe from thofe Words, that he was tranfubftantiated into a material Door, and turned upon Hinges; or that he was literally a Shepherd, who had animal Sheep under his Care; but they were metaphorical Expreffions, which he made ufe of to reprefent to them, that as in this Life, or the natural State of Things here, the good Shepherd takes care of his Sheep, that he may fecure them from Danger, and lead them through the Door into the Sheepfold; fo in respect to the Life eternal, or the State of Grace and Mercy, we must be conducted by him, and by him only, to the heavenly Kingdom of his Father. Again, when he would represent to them the Neceffity there was, that his Followers fhould conftantly abide in the Doctrine of his Religion, and not forfake it; he reprefents himfelf to them under the Image or Similitude of a Vine, and his Difciples under that of the Branches; where, as in the other Inftances already given, he uses the fame pofitive, though figurative, Manner of speaking, saying, (h) I am the true

(h) John xv. 1, 4, 5.