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Tranfubftantiation, or the change of the fubftance of bread and wine in the Supper of our Lord, cannot be proved by Holy Writ; but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a facrament, and hath given occafion to many fuperfti

tions.

The body of Chrift is given, taken, and eaten in the Supper, only after a heavenly and spiritual manner. And the mean whereby the body of Chrift is received and eaten in the Supper, is faith.

The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Chrift's ordinance referved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped.

is

NOTE S.

Matt. xxvi. 28. This is my blood of the New Teftament, which is shed for many, for the remiffion of fins. Mark xiv. 24. This my blood of the New Teftament, which is fbed for many. Luke xxii. 19. This is my body, which is given for you. I Cor. xi. 24. This is my body, which is broken for you. v. 7. For even Chrift, our paffover, is facrificed for us. See the texts on the 16th article.

In refpect to the doctrine of transubstantiation, or the change of the bread and wine in the Lord's fupper into the real body and blood of Chrift, fo that the divinity as well as humanity of Chrift is contained in the tranfubftantiated elements, we have little hopes of convincing those of their error, who can hold fo abfurd a notion. If they can credit the affertion, that a man can put his God into his mouth and fwallow him down his throat, or that he can even swallow the whole humanity of the bleffed Jefus, "whom the heavens muft receive until the times of reftitution of all things," they must indeed be prepared to receive any error, which a corrupt and interrefted clergy may think proper to impofe upon them, however abfurd or monftrous it may be. Nor do we know of any opinion of the heathen mythologifts, concerning their Jupiters, Junos, and Venuses, so astonishingly monftrous as the doctrine of tranfubftantiation.

At the fame time, we are well affured that the true believer does, in a firitual manner, feed upon the body and blood of Jefus Chrift. and in this fpiritual fenfe we take thofe words of our Lord, John vi. 51-58. "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he fhall live for ever and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, which I

As iii. 21.

will give for the life of the world.-Verily, verily, I fay unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whofo eateth my flesh, and drink-~ eth my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raife him up at the laft day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him:" and faith is the grand inftrument, whereby we thus fpiritually difcern the Lord's body, and spiritually eat his flesh, and drink his blood.

XIX. Of both Kinds.

THE cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the lay-people for both the parts of the Lord's Supper, by Chrift's ordinance and commandment ought to be administered to all christians alike.

NOT E S.

It is indubitable, from the 11th chapter of St. Paul's 1ft Epif tle to the Corinthians, that the Lord's fupper was administered in both kinds to all the communicants in the apoftolic age. The apostle, addreffing himself to the Corinthians, observes in the 20th, 21ft, and 22d verfes, "When ye come together, therefore, into one place, this it not to eat the Lord's fupper. For in eating, every one taketh before other his own fupper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What! have ye not houses to eat and to drink in ?" Here St. Paul does not complain of their drinking the wine at the Lord's fupper, which he certainly would, if the cup was to be confined to the minifters; but of their both eating and drinking most intemperately. He adds, in the 26th verse, &c. "As often as ye [Corinthians] eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do fhew the Lord's death, till he come. Wherefore, rbofoever fhall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, fhall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man [any chriftian, not a prieft only, for neither priest nor minifter is here mentioned] examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup," &c. The whole paffage removes all poffibility of difpute, where the fcripture is the rule of judgment. And indeed the refusal of the cup to the people is, even in the church of Rome, of very late date : however, it fhews much of that wisdom which is from beneath; for it requires much more faith to believe in the tranfubftantiation of the rvine after confecration, than of the wafer which has little or no tafte.

XX. Of the one Oblation of Christ, finished upon the Cross.

THE offering of Chrift once made, is that perfect redemption, propitiation, and fatisfaction for all the fins of the whole world, both original and actual; and there is none other fatisfaction for fin but that alone. Wherefore the facrifice of maffes, in the which it is commonly faid that the priest doth offer Chrift for the quick and the dead, to have remiffion of pain or guilt, is a blasphemous fable, and dangerous deceit.

NOTE S.

Heb. vii. 26, 27. Such an high priest became us,-who needeth not daily as thofe high priests [of the tribe of Levi] to offer up facrifice, first for his own fins, and then for the people's: for this be did once, when he offered up himself. Heb. x. 11-14. Every priest standeth daily miniftering and offering oftentimes the fame facrifices, which can never take away fins: But this man [Chrift] after he had offered one facrifice for fins, for ever fat down on the right hand of God.-For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are fanctified. John xix. 30. He [Jefus] faid, It is finished; and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

The facrifice of maffes, in which Christ is supposed to be offer ed again, is wholly grounded on the doctrine of tranfubftantiation: and it must be granted, that if the wafer after confecration, be the real body of Chrift, the priest may offer it, or crucify it, or do what he please with it.

XXI. Of the Marriage of Minifters.

THE

HE minifters of Chrift are not commanded by God's law either to vow the estate of fingle life, or to abstain from marriage; therefore it is lawful for them, as for all other chriftians, to marry at their own difcretion, as they fhall judge the fame to ferve beft to godlinefs.

NOTE S.

1 Tim. iv. 1—3. Now, the Spirit fpeaketh exprefsly, that in the latter times fome fhall depart from the faith, giving heed to fe

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ducing fpirits, and doctrines of devils ;-forbidding to marry, &c. 1 Cor. ix. 5. Have we not power to lead about a fifter, a wife, as well as other apofiles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas.? Heb. xiii. 4. Marriage is honourable in all.

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XXII. Of the Rites and Ceremonies of Churches.

T is not neceffary that rites and ceremonies fhould in all places be the fame, or exactly alike, for they have been always different, and may be changed according to the diverfity of countries, times, and men's manners, fo that nothing be ordained against God's word. Whofoever, through his private judgment, willingly and purposely doth openly break the rites and ceremonies of the church to which he belongs, which are not repugnant to the word of God, and are ordained and approved by common authority, ought to be rebuked openly, that others may fear to do the like, as one that offendeth against the common order of the church, and woundeth the confciences of weak brethren.

Every particular church may ordain, change, or abolish rites and ceremonies, fo that all things may be done to edification.

NOTE S.

(1) Heb. xiii. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you, and fubmit yourselves: for they watch for your fouls, as they that muft give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief. I Cor. xi. 16. But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no fuch cuftom, neither the churches of God. (2) Rom. ii. 8. Unto them that are contentious, indignation and wrath. xvi. 17, 18. Now, I beseech you, brethren, mark them which caufe divifions and offences, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jefus Chrift, but their own belly; and by good words and fair Speeches deceive the hearts of the fimple. I Cor. i. 10. Now I befeech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that ye all fpcak the fame thing, and that there be no divifions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the fame mind, and in

the fame judgment. iii. 3. Ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and ftrife, and divifions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? Tit. iii. 9. Avoid contentions. (3) 1 Cor. xiv. 33. God is not the author of confufion, but of peace, as in all churches of the faints. Ver. 40. Let all things be done decently, and in order. Col. ii. 5. Though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the fpirit, joying and beholding your order. From thefe texts, we may obferve,

1. That the word of God requires, that the members of a church fhould fhew obedience and fubmiffion to thofe who have the pastoral care and fuperintendence over them. In effential points they fhould make no facrifice to the judgment of others: but in uneffential matters (as all rites and ceremonies are, which are not repugnant to the word of God) they are required to obey, and fubmit to, their chief paftors. And if the contentious are determined to cenfure this doctrine, they muft lay the blame at the proper door, and criminate the fcriptures themselves.

2. The texts which are produced, to fhew the great fin and dreadful confequences of ftrife, contention, and division, should place every good man on his guard against a practice fo injurious to the work of God. Well is Satan reprefented as the fpirit of divifion! It is the great work of Chrift to unite God to man, and man to man; and the great work of the devil to divide man from God, and man from man. And, alas! this great enemy of mankind has been but too fuccefsful!-fo fuccefsful, that we doubt whether greater injury has not been done, in the different ages of the world, to the caufe of religion, by this grand engine of the evil one, than by all the grofs vices committed by mankind! The unregenerate are under the wrath of God, whether they be formalifts or open finners: but the Spirit of divifion enters within the vail-enters into the fanctuary, and eats up the very vitals of religion: it changes the peace and concord and union of religious societies, into jealousy, evil furmifings, malice, and envy and too often concludes with every evil word and work.

3. And how is it poffible to bring the discipline of a church to any degree of perfection, or even to preferve that order in it, which is effentially neceffary for its peace and profperity, if every member has a right to oppose or defpife its laws, and to fet up his judgment or fancy against the united wifdom of thofe, who, by common confent, have exercised the government thereof? is this miferable spirit which has broken the moft lively christian focieties into parties, and given their enemies fuch plaufible grounds to defpife and ridicule the great truths of experimental religion. O that the Prince of peace and concord may preferve us from this fchifmatic spirit!

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