f ti E 
 
 DOCTRINE 
 
 O F T H E '» 
 
 EUCHARIST, 
 
 CONSIDERED 
 
 As a diftinguifliing ritual in the fecial 
 worfliip of chriftians. 
 
 WITH 
 
 Some account of the erroneous and fuperfti** 
 tious notions, which have obtained concern-^ 
 ing it. 
 
 By C A L E B "4 L E M I N G. 
 
 And upon the fir fi day of the week, the difciples camt 
 together to hKi-AYL bread. St. Luke, 
 
 This is not to eat the Lord's supper. St. Paul,' 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for C. Hen de it son, under the Royal Exchange ; an4 
 T. Becket, and P. A. De HeNX, in the Strand. 1763, 
 
A 
 
 DEDICATION. 
 
 'T^O the ferious and rational com^ 
 •*• municant; and to thofe pious 
 profeffors, who fee not the dodrine 
 of the Eucharift in a clear and con- 
 vincing light ; are thefe fheets hum- 
 bly dedicated: in hopes of giving 
 fome frefh aid to the devotions of the 
 former; and of removing prejudice 
 and prepofifeffion from the latter. 
 
 As to thole fons of levity or im- 
 piety y who dare ridicule a divine in- 
 ftitution ; the fneer and laugh will 
 be excited in them, by the very ad- 
 vertifement. Others of more decent 
 character, but who difbelieve a reve- 
 lation, will be apt to call it priejl- 
 crafty and an ancient artful chuich 
 method of deluding the people. A- 
 mong the devotional, thofe crowds 
 of e?2thujiafis^ who can be perfuaded 
 to follow TEACHERS, that are vain 
 
 enough 
 
ii DEDICATION. 
 
 enough to pretend to neW revela-' 
 tions, to vilions, and even to mira- 
 culous operations ; thefe will be very- 
 unlikely to make any ufe of this per- 
 formance. And when we add the 
 yet more numerous yS^^j of fuperjii- 
 tion^ it may be afked, what poflible 
 motive could induce to this pub- 
 lication concerning the Eucharift? 
 The anfwer is, *' an apparently 
 great indifference fhewn the ri- 
 tual, among profeffors of a more 
 *^ rational fpirit and generous com- 
 plexion." — 
 
 
 cc 
 
 If with thefe open, ingenuous, li- 
 beral minds, this attempt fhould 
 have any good impreffion ; the end 
 will be attained, which is the prin- 
 cipal aim. 
 
 Of their devoted, 
 
 humble fervant, 
 
 Hoxton Square-, 
 
 C. F. 
 
A plan of the work. 
 
 The introdudlion J which ftates the evi- 
 dence of the New 'Tefiament canon. 
 
 Sec. I. The divine original of the Eucha- 
 rift. 
 
 II. The focial nature of the ritual, with 
 the fenfible fymbols requifite to the celebra- 
 tion. 
 
 III. The fpiritual nature of the Eucha- 
 rift. 
 
 IV. The perfons who are properly quali- 
 fied for the celebration. 
 
 V. The obligation to celebrate the Eu- 
 charift, perpetual. 
 
 VI. The erroneous and fuperftitious opi- 
 nions which have obtained concerning the 
 Eu charift. 
 
 VII. Obfervations made on the dodrine. 
 
( i ) 
 
 THE 
 
 INTRODUCTION; 
 
 Which ftates the evidence of the 
 New Teftament canon. 
 
 LITTLE advantage could be propofed 
 from explaining the dodlrine of the 
 Eucharift, if the authenticity and au- 
 thority of the New T^ejlament writings fhould 
 be held doubtful: The evidence of their: 
 certainly being a droine canon of faith and 
 manners, to all who will give them a reli- 
 gious attention, may be thus colledted.— 
 " They^^ of there having been a man, vs^ho 
 ** appeared in Judea between feventeen and 
 B ** eighteen 
 
ii INTRODUCTlbM. 
 
 " eighteen hundred years ago, named Jesus 
 
 " Christ, a prophet mighty in deed and 
 
 " word before God, and all the people ! is as 
 
 " inconteftable, as that there ever was fuch 
 
 " a man as Homers Socrates, Plato, Virgil i 
 
 " Julius Cafar, or even Mahomet ; not one 
 
 ** of all which have equal evidence of hav- 
 
 " ing exifted with any remarkable or diftin- 
 
 ^^ guifiied charadter.'* 
 
 That the perfonal miniftrations of Jefus 
 were confined to yudea, the land of his na- 
 tivity, and to a people to whom he had been 
 defcribed in prophecy, as a faviour and re- 
 deemer; but whofe inftrudtions and miniftra- 
 tions were to become a light to enlighten the 
 Gentile or Pagan world, as well as be the 
 glory of his people Ifrael.—T\i2i\. accordingly^ 
 he did ordain a number of difciples, who 
 conftantly attended his miniftry, to be the 
 publishers of his dodlrine throughout the 
 world, after he had rifen from the dead, and 
 was afcended into heaven, in the fight of 
 thofe chofen witnefles. — A farther demon- 
 ftration of his being exalted to the right hand. 
 
 of 
 
INTRODUCTION. iii 
 
 of power, was given by extraordijiary giftSy 
 which were conferred on them, in accom- 
 plifliment of a promife which he had made 
 them before his death ; and of which mira- 
 culous heavenly vouchfafement, great num- 
 bers of Jews were witnefTes, which camp 
 from very diflant countries. 
 
 The notoriety of this fa6l became univer- 
 fal, by the apoftles (when fo qualified) going 
 into all parts of the world to publifh the gof- 
 pelj of whofe labours, oppolitions, difficulr 
 ties and fucceffes, a natural and genuine ac- 
 count is given in an hiftory of their ad:s, and 
 in epiftles written by their own hands, and 
 fent to the churches which they at firfl; 
 planted. In which writings there are no 
 marks of artifice, fraud, or policy 3 none of fi- 
 nifter aim, or of fordid intention : but all the 
 evidences of an heavenly difpofition and a di- 
 vine fpirit, in each and every of their dodrinal 
 inftrudions, altogether fuitable to the digni- 
 fied charader and divine appointments of 
 their mafter. 
 
 5 % The 
 
iv INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The New Tejiament fcriptures have no re- 
 femblance, no fimilitude of the writings of 
 uninfpired men : and they alfo are harmoni- 
 ous in their fpiritual, heavenly, and moral 
 feprefentations. 
 
 The age of apoftles v^ras properly denomi- 
 nated, the majiifejlation or difpenfation of the 
 Jpirit: they themfelves being to the world the 
 living oracles of God, as Jefus Chrift their ma- 
 fter had been, during his miniflration, to the 
 
 people of Judca. And becaufe they were able 
 miniflers of the New Tejiamefit^ the mirai- 
 ftration of the fpirit by them, muft have far 
 exceeded in glory all former difpenfations. 
 
 But becaufe this light of the knowledge of 
 God in the face of Jefus Chrifi, was a trea- 
 fure depofitedin earthen vcfjUs ; apoftles, like 
 other men, being fubjed: to mortality; it be- 
 came abfolutely needful that a written record 
 fhould be made of the life and teachings of 
 Jefus, the canon of faith and practice to 
 all fucceeding ages of chriftians ; fince the 
 
INTRODUCTION, y 
 
 gifts of thefplrit muft ceafe, when ever that 
 teftimony was finillied which they were de^ 
 fjgned to give to the million of apoflles. 
 
 That the New Tejlament written canon 
 rpuft have been compleated during the age 
 of apoftles, is alfo evident j becaufe none bat 
 they were capable infalUble judges, which 
 could authenticate the record. Hence it was, 
 that St. Paul, who had not been a difciple 
 and perfonal attendant on Jefus, or a witnefa 
 qf his refurredion and afcenfion, was fa-r 
 voured with "oifiom and revelations, and con- 
 verfed with the exalted Jefus j and likewife 
 received fron) him gifts of the fpirit equal to 
 thofe of the other apoftles; which rendered 
 him gapable of revifing and eftablifliing the 
 credit of St. Mark's gofpel. 
 
 Here an obfervation, made by our eccle-; 
 fiaftical hiftorian, will be pertinent. *' A 
 *• fliort canon of fcripture is mod eligible. 
 *' Religion is the concern of all men. A 
 ^' few fliort hiilories and epiftles are better 
 f fitted for general ufe, than numerous and 
 
 *' prolix 
 
vi INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ** prolix writings. Befides, if any writings 
 '* are to be received as the rule of faith and 
 " manners, it is of the utmoft importance 
 *' that they be juftly entided to that diftinc- 
 ^* tion J otherwife men may be led into er- 
 ^* rors of very bad confequence. If any 
 ** books pretend to deliver the dodlrine of 
 " infallible and divinely infpired teachers, 
 ** fuch as Jefus Chrifl: and his apoftles are 
 *' efteemed by chriftians, great care fliould 
 *' be taken to be well fatisfied that their ac- 
 " counts are authentic, and that they are the 
 " genuine writings of the men, whofe names 
 ** they bear*." N. B. The public is greatly 
 indebted to the labours of this author, for 
 laying before the eye of his reader a feriesof 
 teftimony to the canon of the New T'ejiamenfy 
 \vhich reaches down even to the twelfth 
 century, in that work of his, entitled, The 
 (Credibility of the Go/pel Hijiory, 
 
 We are now able to give a very fatisfac- 
 tory folution to that fceptical queflion, viz, 
 ^' How can we, at this diftance of time and 
 
 * See Dr. XyARDNER'sfuppIement, vol, I.cb. li. p. 27. 
 
 " place. 
 
i N t R O b U C t I O N. vii 
 
 ** place, be aflured what is, and what is not 
 ** divine canoPj when there are no auto- 
 *' graphs i either of epiftles by apoftles, or of 
 ** gofpels by their authors?" 
 
 Afiured we are, that thofe writings which 
 we have, cannot materially differ from their 
 originals i becaufe of the jealous eye chriftians 
 could not but have upon one another, on ac- 
 count of different opinion and mode of pro- 
 feflion. The feveral languages into which 
 they were tranflated, (the gofpel doctrine hav- 
 ing been previouily propagated by apoflles, in 
 different nations) would render it impra(5tica- 
 ble or impoflible for men to have made any 
 alteration, of importance, in the divine canon. 
 We therefore have all the moral certainty thaC 
 can poflibly attend the conveyance of an hea- 
 venly inftrudion. Nay, befides this, the 
 complexion of thefe writings will fuit no 
 other age of the world, fo well as they do that 
 in which they are faid to have been written.* 
 
 * See Dr. Lardner's firjl part of the credibility^ 
 •&c. where the fa6ts occafionally mentioned by evange- 
 lifts are confirmed by ancient cotemporary authors. 
 
 Moreover, 
 
Viii INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Moreover, as to the intrlnfic or internal 
 evidence, we, at this day are as capable of 
 Examining, judging and determining, as men 
 ever were in any one age of the chriftian 
 profeffion : of the moral, fpiritual and hea- 
 venly nature, and tendency of the canon, 
 every man is able to make an infaUible judg- 
 ment, by conforming his temper and life to 
 its guidance and dirediion. — ^ 
 
 They do therefore manifeflly miftake Itx 
 judging of this canon, v/ho will have the Nem 
 TeJiameTit writings to be no other than 2ifecoft- 
 dary rulej and the fpirit, or light within them 
 to be the primary one ; whereas the reafon, or 
 fpirit of a man, is more properly and truly 
 the judge of the one written cannon, or rule, 
 than the primary rule itfclf. But the miftakc 
 leems to be owing to a wrong interpretation 
 of the apoftle, as if in an oppoHtion of the 
 ieiter to the fpirit, he could be underftood of 
 the letter of the written gofpcl, oppofed to 
 the manifeftation of the fpirit; which is not 
 to illuftrate, but to confound his meaning. 
 The kfUr which he oppofes to the fpirit^ 
 
 could 
 
I fr t R O D U C T I O N. i» 
 
 cbuld be no other than the Mofaic fyftem j 
 which, he largely {hews, had nothing in it 
 that would compare with the fpiritual mani- 
 feftation of truth and grace, made by the 
 gofpel. Moreover y thbfe very people, who 
 V/ould have the written gofpel to be no better 
 than 2i fecondary rule, and who give prefe- 
 rence to the light within, or to the teachings 
 of the fpirit, do profefTedly borrow all their 
 notions of the fpirit from the written word * j 
 which refled:s upon them an apparent abfur- 
 dity. — They feem not to have attended to 
 the difference of circutnftance in which chrif* 
 tkns were, when under the difpenfation of 
 the fpirit, before the written canon had exi- 
 gence, and whilfl: the fpirit was the primary 
 and only rule; and the condition of chrif-* 
 tians, when the difpenfation of the fpirit had 
 wholly ceafed with the finiflied ages of the 
 apoftles, and when the written gofpel was 
 
 * We (hall be willing to admit it, as a pofitive 
 certain maxim, that whatfoever any do, pretending to 
 the fpirit, which is contrary toth^^fcriptures, be accoUhted 
 and reckoned a dejufion of the devil. Barclay*^ apo- 
 logy, p. 86. 
 
 C become 
 
2i INTRODUCTION. 
 
 become the only divine rule to the whole 
 church of Chrift. 
 
 Others, with defign to invalidate the rule; 
 have faid, " that Jefus never gave any exprefs 
 *' orders that nien fhould write an hiftory of 
 *' his life." 
 
 This is readily acknowledged : nor was 
 there the leaft occafion for his giving fuch di- 
 rection. He well knew that thofe his difci- 
 ples, whom he had ordained to publifh his 
 gofpel to the world, fliould receive the pro- 
 mije of the father, and have extraordinary 
 divine illuminations. He alfo knew that the 
 defign of his doiftrine and miffion, was to be 
 of univerfal and perpetual ufe and benefit to 
 mankind j and that therefore they could not 
 fail of making a written-record, ere the dif- 
 penfation of the fpirit fhould finifli. He in- 
 fallibly knew that fuch a divine teftimony, 
 which had been given of him, mufl be tranf- 
 mitted to the lafl: age of mankind. 
 
 The 
 
INTRODUCTION, xi 
 
 TheobjecSlion feems alfo to be unnaturaland 
 capricious ; for men are not wont to inquire 
 of biographers (who have, with great atten- 
 tion and labour, compofedand publiflied the 
 lives of great men) whether their heroes had 
 dedred it at their hands ? what will fully ju- 
 ftify the hiilorian, and alfo entitle him to 
 the thanks of the public, is, if his fubje(ft was 
 every way worthy a record j if it promifed 
 Liniverfai pleafjre and profit, in the pcrufal; 
 for then, verily we afcribe great merit, and 
 do fuch biographers deferved honour. On 
 this principle it ig, we reverence the names 
 of the facred writers, who compofed the 
 canon of the N^w T^ejlainent, 
 
 But the objection entirely vanillies, when 
 we read what the beloved difciple fays in his 
 pwn defence, as an hiftorian, — *' and many 
 ^* other figns truly did Jefus in the prefence 
 " of his difciples, which are not written in 
 •;' this book. But ihtfe are written, that ye 
 " might believe that Jefus is the Chrift, the 
 !^ fon of the living God, and that believing 
 C 2 *' ye 
 
9cii INTRODUCTION. 
 
 " ye might have life through his name." — 
 And again, *'thls is the difciple which tefti- 
 " fieth of thefe things, and avrote theje thifigSy 
 *^ and we know that his teftimony is true. 
 *' And there are alfo many other things 
 *' which Jefus did, the which, if they fhould 
 *' be written, every one, I fuppofe, that even 
 **' the world itfelf would not contain or re- 
 •^ ceive the books that fhould be written/* 
 That is, they would be much too bulky 
 and voluminous for common ufej and would 
 not £o officioully anfwer the end of a divine 
 canon. Compare John xx. "j^o, 31. ch.xxi, 
 24, 25. But who can once call inqueftion 
 the propriety of fuch a record, that confi- 
 ders the nature and tendency of Jt ? 
 
 S E Ct 
 
( I > 
 
 SECTION I, 
 
 'The divine original of the Etichariji, 
 
 WHEN we write or fpeak concern- 
 ing a religious obfervance, or a di- 
 vine inftitution, we ought to be 
 well fatisfjed of its heavenly origitial. And 
 when it concerns chriftian practice, it muffc 
 have place in that canon efteemcd facred by 
 the comrnon confent of chriftians, which ca- 
 non is called, the New Tejiament ivritifigs ; 
 containing the only genuine life of Chriil:, 
 his heavenly and divine teachings^ as recorded 
 by apoftles and cvangelifts. 
 
 St. Matthew, Mark, Luke and Paul, have 
 pch of them affured us, that the Euchariji 
 
 was 
 
2 Of the dodlrine of the "Eucharifi, 
 
 was inftituted by Jefus Chrifl: himfelf, the 
 yery evening before his fufferings, Matth. 
 ^xvi. 26. — Mark xiv. 22. — Luke xxii. 19. 
 J Cor. ii. 23. — And we may reafonably ac- 
 count for the filence of St. fohn, who only 
 wrote a fupplemental gofpel*. Yet, even 
 this evangelift has given us thofe difcourfes 
 of our Lord's, deHvered immediately before 
 his fufferings, which enable us to enter more 
 fully into the meaning or fpirit of the me- 
 morial inftitution. And befides thofe dif- 
 courfes, it fliould feeni that he forefaw the 
 fuperftitious and extravagant notions which 
 men would entertain of the Eucharift ; and 
 therefore was led to infert another difcourfe, 
 which our Lord delivered concerning \\\^ doc- 
 trine^ being, that hsis flefli which men fiiould 
 eat, and that his blood which men (hould 
 drink, the internal principle of immor- 
 tality. St. Johfi'z filence about the Eucha- 
 rift is thus well accounted for ; and we have 
 reafon to conclude, he faw that the celebra- 
 tion of it did, in his day, univerfally obtain 
 
 'Confult Dr. Lardner's fupplemcnt, vol.1, ch. ix. fcc.x;. 
 
 among 
 
Of the doBrtne of the Enchar'ijl. 3 
 
 kmong chriftians. The authority on which 
 the ritual fupports, is thus indifputablc. 
 
 That it could have no other original than 
 what the above writers report it to have had, 
 is alfo evident from its very obvious inten- 
 tion J which is, to commemorate the fadl of 
 the man Chrift Jefus dying as a malefactor, 
 by public confent of his own nation ; not- 
 withftanding he had been approved of God 
 among them, by %ns, wonders, and divers 
 miracles, which were wrought by him. — • 
 That a thaiikf giving memorial (liould be ap- 
 pointed, is contrary to all the ufages and cu- 
 ftoms of mankind j who, to exprefs their de- 
 teftation and abhorrence of the cruel treat- 
 ment of great and good men, would have 
 inftituted fome monument of indignation, of 
 (liame and forrow, rather than of congratu- 
 lation, thankfulnefs and joy. There is there- 
 fore in the very complexion of the ritual, a 
 fpirit and intention difcoverable, which is 
 the reverfe of all civil and political appoint- 
 ments. And, in faifl, fo flood the celebra- 
 iion of the Eucharifl among the firfl chrif- 
 
 tians ; 
 
4 Of the doBrine of the Euchariji. 
 
 dans ; it was an open devout acknowledge 
 ment, that the fiigma of reproach, which 
 had been fixed on their divine mafter, by his 
 crucifixion, was efleemed by them, matter 
 of their boafting and glory. They thus re- 
 cognized his diftinguifhed merit, and fupe- 
 rior excellence ! and hereby the reputation 
 and credit of their religion was highly re- 
 commended to the world. So far from be- 
 itig afliamed of his crofs, they confidered it 
 as a vain, fruitlefs attempt of his ungrateful 
 malicious enemies, to fupprefs his heavenly 
 dodrine, and to blemifh his divine character 
 in the eyes of the nations. 
 
 A more dired and full confutation of envy 
 and detradiion, furely could not have been 
 given. Divine wifdom thus difplays itfelf 
 in the open face of the inftitution j without 
 which, the chriftian profeflion would have 
 been expofed to public fcorn and univerfal 
 contempt. For had there been any poffible 
 impeachment of crime in his charader, or 
 iany defed fliewn in his divine claims, whom 
 they had crucified as an impofior, the pro-. 
 
 fellioiv 
 
X>f the doBrine of the Euchdrijl. '§ 
 
 ftCCion would have been ftifled in its infancy^ 
 ihd all his difciples covered with fhame and 
 infamy. But, on the contrary, what could 
 be a more convincing proof of the confi- 
 dence which they had in him, than their 
 open celebration of his death, by a thank- 
 ful and joyful memorial ? 
 
 Oh this ratio flood the divine original of 
 the Eucharift, in the obfervance of iirft 
 chriftians, when the fcandal of the crofs wa^ 
 fecent and popular -j and unlefs a man is de- 
 termined to fhut his eyes again ft evidence, he 
 is conftrained to own the inftitution to be 
 reafonable, and divinely well adapted to 
 thofe moft ufeful ends it was defigncd to 
 anfwer. Not like a merely pofitive arid ar- 
 bitrary appointment ; but, with all other 
 moral and divine inftru6tion, it fpeaks th« 
 language of inconteftable fa(5ts, and fupports 
 on the manifeft law of relation, as will be 
 more clearly feen by and by. 
 
 The fenfe now given of the divine origi-^ 
 nal of the Eucharift, will be abundantly con- 
 firmed by the epijiles, and by St. Luke's hijiory 
 
 D of 
 
'6 Of the doSiriite of the Eiicharijl, 
 
 cf the aBs of the apoftles. In the epiftles, 
 we frequently find St. Paid fpeaking of the 
 crofs of Chriji, as matter and occafion of his 
 greatefl: glorying. He looked upon it as a 
 divine fcheme, ** which had deftroyed the 
 ** wifdom of the wifej and brought to no- 
 *' thing the underftanding of the prudent. — 
 ** Which was to the Jews a ftumbling block, 
 '*' and to the Greeks foolillinefs." And yet, to 
 the chriilian, it was no other than the power 
 of God, and the wifdom of God. In what fenfe 
 the crofs of Chriji may be underftood, the power 
 ofGodaiid the wfdom ofGody will be of eafy 
 conception, when it is confideredhow Chrift 
 becomes a Saviour and Redeemer, viz. by de- 
 livering men from the evil of this prefent 
 world J and by infpiring them with fpiritual 
 and heavenly affedtions. Which redemption 
 could not have been accomplifhed by himj 
 had he not ad:ually fubmitted to the deepeft 
 poffible abafement, and taken into the com- 
 pafs of his trial the whole energy of tempta- 
 tion : for by this means only could he become 
 the author and finifher of our faith, as he 
 thereby (hewed the pradlicability, as well as 
 poflibility of overcoming all the efforts of 
 
 evih 
 
0/the do5irine of the Eucharlft, f 
 
 evil. On the crofs he exemplified a con- 
 tempt of the world, by a fuperiority of mind 
 to all fenfible impreffions, however (hame- 
 ful or painful. And in the greatnefs of his 
 behaviour, throughout the fcenery of his hu- 
 miliation *, he difcovered a meetnefs for that 
 majefty and dominion, to which the one 
 God did exalt him, in reward of his obe- 
 dience to the death. 
 
 The divine original of the Eucharift will 
 be yet further obvious, from the defign of 
 that very death, which it commemorates, 
 viz. God's reconciling the ivorld to hiinjelf 
 by that event. For verily, mankind do 
 receive from thence the mofl important 
 and interefting inftrudion, in all moral 
 and divine truths; e. g. they are (hewn 
 how very merciful a being he is, that 
 could pardon the murderers of that his well- 
 beloved fon, nvho tnade it his meat to do the 
 will of his father y and to finifo his work : 
 who did not difpute the moft painful endu- 
 rance; cordially faying, ?20t my willy but 
 
 * See this illuftrated with great adJrefs, in Dr. 
 Larpner's 2d vol. of fermons. 
 
 D 2 thim 
 
.8 Of the do6irine of the Eucharijl. 
 
 thine be done: and to whom the Deity had 
 given miraculous teftimony of his approba- 
 tion. When therefore we are informed of 
 great numbers of Chrift's murderers obtain- 
 ing pardon, and encouraged to hope for eter- 
 nal life! the reprefentation is fuited to recon- 
 cile the mind of a penitent finner, and re- 
 ftore him to peace. Thus God is faid to be 
 reconciling the world unto himjelf^ not itnput- 
 ing to penitent men their treJp(7Jjes. 
 
 Another view of the reconciliation is, that 
 of mankind being no longer allowed to form 
 a judgment of the approbation or difappro- 
 bation of God towards them, becaufe of ex- 
 ternal circumflance or condition : fince the 
 mod beloved and honoured of God, was de- 
 f pi Jed and rejcBed of men. A man of for- 
 rows J and acquainted with griefs. Hence the 
 moft abjedl condition, and painful endurance 
 of man is altogether confident with virtuous 
 charadler, and with his enjoyment of the di- 
 vine favour. Whiift the moft profperous 
 external circumftance, and elevated rank of 
 givjl condition, may be the allotment of the 
 
 mofk 
 
Of the doBrine of the Eiicharijt. 9, 
 
 mod unworthy of mortals. Thus the fuf- 
 ferings and death of Jefus have, in them, an 
 apt tendency to reconcile men to God, as they 
 corre(!t and cure the prejudices which arife 
 from fenfible impreflions that are made upon 
 VIS. 
 
 A third reconciling view of Chrid's death 
 may be taken from its rewardablenefs. Who, 
 for the joy fet before him, did endure the crofs 
 (ind defpife thejhame. And, in virtue of his 
 obedience to the deaths he had a name given 
 l)im above every namely even that of the re- 
 
 furredion 
 
 * The Rev. Mr. Thomas Emlyn fays, " a gift 
 f of no new authority feems to be a gift of nothing;. Is 
 ** Chrift rewarded with nothing, or with no additioa 
 *' of glory ? mufl he hold that hy gift, which he held 
 *' by a better tenure before ?" — See his works, 4th 
 edit. vol. I. p. 247. 
 
 And to the fame purpofe we have the concurrinjr 
 judgment of the Rev. Mr. James Pierce. — " It has 
 *' been the common opinion of ancient chriftians, as 
 " well as it is of the generality of the modern writers 
 *' upon the fcriptures, that in many, or at Icaft in fomc 
 ** of the appearances of the angels recorded in the Old 
 *' Tejlcmenty the ?.(;>®-, the fon himfelf was one of the 
 *' number. — But it may be queflioned whether that 
 ?' opinion hath any folid foundation. I know not of 
 
 *' anv 
 
%e' Of the docirine of the Eucharift, 
 
 furredion and the life ; the Lord of the dead 
 and of the living j and the final judge. It is 
 in him that we have the earneft of the inhe- 
 ritance, to whom God has given the keys of 
 hades and of death. A demonftration of his 
 having fuch an inveftiture of fovereignty^ 
 is feen in the fubfequent miraculous gifts be- 
 ffcowed on apoftles, who were to preach or 
 publifh his gofpel throughout the world. 
 
 From the reward of his obedience, the 
 fincere chriftian is encouraged to look and 
 wait "for his Lord's coming to receive him 
 ** to himfclf, to be with him where he is, to. 
 " behold the glory which the father hath, 
 
 "' any place of fcripture where it is exprefsly aflerted: 
 ** and the arguments brought to prove it, are fo very 
 ** flight, that it feems at bcft to be a mere conjecSlure. 
 *' There is, at leaft nothing in this epiftle to favour it, 
 •' but the contrary." See his note (d) on Heb. i. 2. 
 with which may be compared his note (c) on ch. iii. 36. 
 " With thefe teftimonies agree the Rev, Air. MosEs, 
 Lowman's three traBs on the Shechinah and Logos y 
 and the letter writ in the year 1730, all of which do 
 virtually maintain this conclufion, viz. " that the ex- 
 *' altation of Chrid muft have been in revjard of his 
 ** obedience to the death; inafmuch as we have no rea- 
 ** fon to fuppofe any manifeftation of him antecedent /a 
 " hii being born cj a lucmany and made under the law" 
 
 " given 
 
t>fthe dooirine of the Eucharijl. i t 
 
 ** given him/' And an apoftle thus rea- 
 foneth, if ive are reconciled to God by the 
 death of his forij bow much fnore fiall we 
 he faved by his life? — Another fays, bap- 
 tifm does nowfave us by the refurreBion of fe- 
 fus Chrifti who is gone into heaven. The death of 
 Chriji verily, has all its efficacy and energy de- 
 rived from its confequences. Separate from 
 thefe his death has in it no one ufeful, or in- 
 ftrudlive meaning. In the abftradl idea of it 
 there could be no reafon of thankfgiving or 
 joy. But when we once know that death 
 could not hold him, as a trophy or prifonerj 
 and that it was impojjible for this God's holy one 
 to fee corruption, becaufe he could not die as 
 a criminal J we difcern how this circum- 
 ftance determines him to be the fon of God 
 and Saviour of the world. From the reward- 
 ablenefs of his death, we then derive bene- 
 fits, in fize and number, confiderable enough 
 to excite and animate all our gratitude and 
 praife ; forafmuch as we can alfo rely on a 
 fpiritual and moral union with him who is 
 our powerful head. Under whofe admini- 
 ftration, we arc even alTured of an happy 
 immortality, St. Peter having given us this 
 
 very 
 
tS "Of the ioBrine of the Eiicharifi. 
 
 very engaging reprefentation of thofe bene- 
 fits, when he fays, blejfed be the God and fa- 
 ther of our Lord fefus Chrift, which accord^ 
 ing to his abundant mercy hath begotten us 
 again unto a lively hope^ by the refurreBion of 
 Jefus Chriji from the dead) to an inheritance 
 incorruptible J a7id undefled, aud that jadeth 
 not away, referved in the heavens for us. 
 
 ObjeBion. Should it not how be afked, 
 why has God taken this method of conferrin'g 
 his favours on mankind^ Is there not fomething 
 in it too obfcure and myfterious for ordinary 
 conception f 
 
 Anf. So far from itj that of all other 
 known methods of revealing his truth and 
 grace, this feems to be the moft familiar and 
 iengaging in its inftrudion j forafmuch as it 
 moft naturally fuits with the condition of 
 man, both as fubjedled to death, and alfo as 
 interefted in a refurredtion from the dead. 
 Whatever were the informations otherways 
 given about thefe things, there never had 
 been any inftru6tor, in whom, as a common 
 head, power was inverted to prefide as Lord 
 
 ovet 
 
Of the doBrine of the Eucharifi. 1 3 
 
 t)ver both the dead and Ivolng. Whereas, in 
 Jefus, the dominion of death is made void; 
 and immortal life is brought to light by his 
 inftrudions. We are thus, by him, enabled 
 to view death with compofure, and the fu- 
 ture ftatc with joyful hope. Our ideas have 
 a clearnefs and precifion in them ; and we 
 are not left to the random guefles of an un- 
 guided imagination, nor to the vifions of 
 poets, or dreams of philofophers. The veil, 
 that terrified the mind by its gloom, is quite 
 thrown alide again^ the making manifeil: by 
 the death of Chrift, and its confequences, is 
 in perfc(5t harmony with nature, and the uni- 
 verfal voice of providence. For, fhould we 
 inquire what arc the advantages we receive 
 relative to this fyftem ? or what the method 
 of their conveyance ? they will be found ef- 
 fential to our prefent fub(iftcnce,andto be con- 
 veyed, ordinarily, thro' the hands of our fel- 
 low men, /. e, fome way by their inftrumcn- 
 tality. We certainly owe the various and nu- 
 merous accommodations of life and being, to 
 their miniflrations and mediations. This 
 allowed to be the cafe, no meafure could 
 be more worthy of God, than that of ap- 
 E pointing 
 
1 4 Of the do^rine of the Euchariji. 
 
 pointing hm to be the captain of our falva- 
 vation, who partook of flefli and blood 5 and 
 was in all things made Hke to his brethren s 
 and who verily was perfedled through fuffer- 
 ings. A 7nan tempted as we are^ touched with 
 the feeling of our ijifirmitieSy can beft fym- 
 pathize with us, and beft fuccour us under 
 the whole of our trial. 
 
 An objedion that could arife to this di-- 
 vine fcheme, would equally difrelilh any 
 other known medium of manifeftation. But, 
 of a truth, it was very unlikely, that pro- 
 phecy fliould mark out the Mefliah from 
 the firft age of the world 3 and yet, that 
 there fliould not be fome great meaning, 
 fome univerfal advantage arife from his mif- 
 fion and appointments, whenever he fhould 
 make his appearance. — Thus it is prefumed, 
 the divine origin of the memorial of Chrift's 
 death is fliewn with evidence. 
 
 §.II. 
 
Of the dodirine of the Eucharifi, 1 5 
 
 §. II. ^he foetal nature of the rMal^ *with 
 the feffble fymboh requifte to the celebration. 
 
 That the Eucharifl: is to be celebrated 
 fociallyj and with the viGble fenfible fyiii- 
 bols of material bread and' material winCj 
 which are for the participation of each and 
 every communicant, might be argued from' 
 tliofe accounts the facred writers have giveji 
 of the inftitution. Not any thing lefs than 
 a violence offered to the text, can give any 
 other fenfe of the ritual. Our blefl'ed Lord, 
 after the pafcal feaft, " took bread, and gave 
 " thanks, he took the cup alfo and gave 
 *' thanks, and bade them ail drink of ir. — ' 
 " He faid of the bread, take, eat, this is my. 
 **' body: to diftinguifli it from the paffover- 
 ** lamb, which had a quite different object. 
 ** And of the cup, he fays, this is the New 
 " Tefament in my bloud^ which is as widely 
 *' different from the intention of the pafcal 
 " cup of thankfgiving. So St. Paul fays, 
 " the cup of bleffmg which Vv'e blefs, is it 
 ** not the communion of the bloud of 
 \[ Chrifl ? and the bread which we break, 
 E 2 '' is 
 
1 6 Of the dtyBrine of the Euchariji. 
 
 '^ is it not the communion of the body of 
 " Chrift ?"— -That fort of i^lefing and/r^//- 
 ing God, ufed over the bread and over the 
 cup, did intend the feparating of them from 
 common to a religious ufe : /. e. they are not 
 to be taken to fatisfy hunger or thirft j but 
 are to be the fymbols of his body broken, 
 and his bloud fhed, who inftituted the me- 
 morial. And they are to be eaten and drank 
 in fociety, to denote the fpiritual commu- 
 nion which chriftians have with one ano- 
 ther, and alfo their union with the one Lord. 
 
 But the tranfacftion being focial, is alfo 
 manifefl from the pra6lice of the firft chrif- 
 tians J of whom St. Luke fays, that on the 
 firjl day of the iveek the difciples came toge- 
 ther to break bread, Adts xx. 7. com- 
 pare ch. ii. 46. And with him agrees St. 
 Faul^ who when he wrote to the Corin- 
 thians about the year 56, obferves, ijohen 
 they came together into one place ^ they could 
 not eat the Lord's [upper ; for this reafon, 
 *vix, they divided into feparate companies, 
 even in the place of public vvorlliip, and 
 every one eat his own fupper : one was hun- 
 
 g7> 
 
Of the doBrine of the Eucharift. i j 
 
 gry, and another was drunken. — They for- 
 got that their own houfes were moft proper, 
 in which to eat thei;* common meals, and 
 not the church of God ; and that they alto- 
 gether thus perverted the fpiritual nature and 
 intention of the memorial rite: for, they 
 being many, were one bread and one body -, as 
 they were all to partake alike of that one breads 
 
 We have a pagan teftlmony much to our 
 purpofe, viz. that of Pliny, who thus 
 writes of the christians, in his letter to Tra- 
 jan : *' the whole of their guilt, is, they 
 " meet on a certain ftated day, before it is 
 light, and addrefs themfelves in. the form 
 of a prayer to Chrift, as to fome God,* 
 binding themfelves by a folemn oath, not 
 for the purpofes of any wicked defign, but 
 " never to commit any fraud, theft, or adul- 
 " tery, never to falfify their word, nor deny 
 a truft when called upon to deliver It up ; 
 
 cc 
 
 * In the Oxford edit, of 1667, this is the phrafc^ 
 carmenq; chrijlo, quafi deo, dicere Jecum inv'ican^ which 
 I fhould render, " each of them fung an hymn to 
 *' Chrift, as to a God." q. d. much refembling the 
 -yf&y we have of doing honour to one of our deities. 
 
 *' after 
 
1 8 Of the doSirine of the Euchari/I, 
 
 *' after which it was their cuflom ta fepa^ 
 *' rate, and then re-affemble, to eat in com- 
 *' mon an harmlcfs meal."* 
 
 An early honourable teftimony given by 
 the Roman governor of a province to an em- 
 peror, who flourifhed about the year of 
 Chrift, one hundred. The harmlcfs meal 
 which he reports the Chriftians to have 
 eaten in common, was undoubtedly the Eti- 
 chariji. It is mentioned as a part of their 
 focial and religious obfervance, a ftated thing 
 among them. And he alfo obferves, the 
 pure unblemifhed morality of their profef- 
 
 fion 'y *^ they bind themfelves by a folcmn 
 " oath, not to do any thing that would re- 
 " proach their holy religion. Herein folio w- 
 ** ing that apoftolic rule, walk ye worthy 
 *' oj thai vocation wherewith ye are c ailed, '\ 
 
 Another fucceeding teflimony I would 
 produce, is, from fujiin Martyr y in his firft 
 apology prefented to the emperor and fenate 
 of Romey about the year of Chrift one hun- 
 
 * Pliny's letters, book x. letter 97, M£LmoTh''s 
 tranflatlon. 
 
 dre4 
 
cc 
 
 cc 
 
 Of the doSfrine of the ^ucharifl, i^ 
 
 dred and forty, giving an account of the 
 chriflian worfhipj who exprefles himfelf af- 
 ter this manner. " And after prayer, there 
 " is brought to him who prefides over the 
 " brethren, bread (or a loaf) and a cup of 
 " water and wine, which he takes, and 
 " then gives praife and glory to the father of 
 " the univerfe, in the name of the fon and 
 of the holy fpirit. And after finifhing the 
 prayer and thankfgiving, all the people pre- 
 fent give their aflent, faying, amen. Then 
 ^* they who with us are called deacons^ give 
 " the bread, and the wine and water to every 
 ** one prefent, and fend to fuch as are ab- 
 " fent. This food is called by us the Ru' 
 " charifi^ of which no one may partake but 
 " he who believes the things taught by us, 
 " and has been wafhed in the laver for the 
 *' remiffion of fins and regeneration, and to 
 " live as Chrift hath commanded. For we 
 ** do not take this as common bread, or 
 " common drink. For the apoftles in 
 ** their memoirs, which are called gofpels, 
 " have delivered it to us, that Chrift directed 
 ** it fo to be done : and that when he had 
 
 *' taken 
 
2 b Of the doBrine of the Eucharifi.\ 
 
 *' taken bread and given thanks, he faid, 
 ^^ do this in remembrance of me, this is my 
 *' body. And in like manner, that having 
 *' taken the cup, and given thanks, he faid, 
 " this is my bhiid, and gave it to them only/' 
 p. 82, 83. edit. Bened, 
 
 An apology prefented to the emperor An- 
 tojtinus PiuSy and the fenate, is a teftimony 
 of great notoriety and high credit, and in 
 full proof of the focial nature of the ritual, 
 and of the ufe of ifeniible material fymbols 
 in the celebration. At the fame time, their 
 fending the elements to fuch chrijiians who 
 were abfenty muft, confefledly be an inftance 
 of departure from the letter of the divine 
 canon, and of apoftolic practice. 
 
 It would not be wide of the point, to 
 mention the farther teftimony of Tatian, 
 a difciple of Jujlin Martyr^ who repre- 
 fents the Lord's fupper and the delign of 
 it, as a memorial in this manner; " and 
 " having taken bread (or a loaf) and then a 
 " cup of wine, and having faid that they 
 
 were 
 
Of the doSlrine of the Eucharift, 2 1 
 
 *' were his body and bloud, he commanded 
 " them to eat and drink 5 for it was (or they 
 " were) a memorial of his future fufFering and 
 " death.*" This teflimony was about the year 
 one hundred and feventy. And though it does 
 not explicitly report the pradtice of chriftians, 
 yet it gives us reafon to fuppole that the infti- 
 tution was then fo underftood, and fo cele- 
 brated, viz. by a fecial religious eating of ma- 
 terial bread, and drinking of material wine in. 
 memory of Chrifl's fufferings and death. 
 
 We can add, that fuftin Martyr ^ Ter^ 
 tullian^ Cyprian and Origen^ have given very 
 exprefs accounts of the Lord's Supper ; not 
 only as to the time of receiving, and per- 
 fons who did receive, but alfo as to the man- 
 ner of celebration, -f* Indeed all good writers 
 on ecclefiaftical antiquities do agree, in re- 
 prefenting the Eucharift, as an effential, di- 
 ftinguifliing ritual, celebrated focially among 
 chriftians. 
 
 * See Dr. Lardner's Credib. P. II. vol. III. B. I. 
 ch. xxxvi. p. 148. 
 
 t See Lord King's enquiry into the conftitution, 
 &c, of primitive church, part II. ch. vi, 
 
 F The 
 
22 Of the doBrine of the EuchariJ^, 
 
 The fecial nature of the Eucharift, or xht 
 ufe of fenfible fymbols in the celebratioHi 
 might be further argued, from the various 
 alterations made by chriftians in their obfer- 
 vances; fuch as, '* giving it to infants, car- 
 " rying the Eucharift home with them to 
 '" their own houfes, to receive as they had 
 " occafion. The Eulogiae, or fending it to 
 *' different churches j in token of joint-com- 
 *' munion;— the changing of the tabic po- 
 " flure to (landing in the third century, which 
 *' continued to the eleventh, and then to 
 ** kneeling;" every of thefe alterations in- 
 fer an original fecial inftitution. See Dr. 
 Whitby's prot. recon. p. 291, 294.* 
 
 * It is here obfervable, that our modern feSfaries^ 
 who in)plicitly follow their leaders, are fond of mimick- 
 ing an early cuftom which the chriftians had, " of 
 *' making entertainments for ftrangers, or for chriftian 
 *' travellers upon the church's ftoclc." Which laud- 
 able cuftom Dr. Lighefoot thinks was derived fron^ 
 the Jews, viz, th^e agapae, or fea/is of charity, men- 
 tioned Jude ver. 12. But what refemblance have the mo- 
 dern love feajis ? — See Lightfoot's works, vol.11. 
 
 P- 775- 
 
 §. IIL 
 
Of the doBrine of the Eticharijl, 23- 
 
 §. III. The fpiritual nature of the Eticharijf., 
 
 There are fome who have underflood the 
 death of Chrift as 2. facrtfice\ and the Eu-' 
 charift as ^feaji upon that facrifice. And it 
 muft be confeiTed, that there are a number of 
 texts in the New Tefiament that have fpoken 
 of hini as a propitiation and facrifice ; nay, 
 once he is faid to be our pajfover facrifced 
 for us, I Cor. v. 7. But to underfland the 
 facrifical terms, fo applied in a literal fenfe, 
 u'ould betoftrain allufions into original fads; 
 and to throw much confuiion on the human 
 mind. Such figurative reprefentation was 
 natural and familiar to the eyes of a Jewifh 
 convert, who had ftrong prejudices in favour 
 of the Mofaic ritual : and yet the Old Tejia- 
 ment doBrine of facrifce will be found 
 to fpeak of it, either as the fymbol of pe- 
 nitence j or of gratitude, in the perfon who 
 prefented the vidim. But in the death of 
 Chrift, fo far from penitence being exprefTed 
 by them who devoted him, he was confi- 
 dered by them as an execrable criminal! they 
 did not therefore exprefs penitence by his 
 F 2 death. 
 
24 Oj the dodirine of the Eucharifi. 
 
 death, but ignorance, pride, envy and ma- 
 lice. 
 
 Gratitude was as remote from them as 
 penitence; they did not thereby acknow- 
 ledge obligation for benefits received ; but, 
 on the contrary, the mofl flagrant difinge- 
 nuity, and the vileft ingratitude was fhewn 
 to him, by whom God had healed all the' 
 maladies of their people, and given deliver- 
 ance and falvation throughout yudea^ to their 
 wretched and miferable ! In no one literal 
 and true fenfe could the death of Jefus be 
 underftood, as 2i facrijice ; when the fpilling 
 of his bloud was an ad: of impiety, the moft 
 horrid that ever could be committed by any 
 people or nation.* It could not then be an 
 expedient to propitiate deity ; fince the in- 
 fult and outrage was committed again ft his 
 well-beloved fon, who had every poffible at-^ 
 teftation of divine charadler and miffion. 
 
 And yet there feems to have been an an- 
 cient ufe of facrifice, to which the death of 
 
 * See Pierce's note (d) on Heb, v. 5, 6. 
 
 Chrift 
 
Of the doBrine of the Eticharifi. 25 
 
 Chrifl: may be compared, or to which it may 
 have a very inftrudiive allufion ; and that is, 
 the method of covenanting in the patriarchal 
 age. For, upon a divine promife being 
 made by the oracle, on the part of God, 
 with fome condition to be performed on 
 the part of man ; the celeftial fire did, in 
 confirmation, confume the facrifice ; and 
 thus became a ratifying feal of the cove- 
 nant, Gen. XV. 17. In fuch allufive fenfe, 
 the death of Chrift may have the idea of a 
 facrifice; efpecially when we confider God's 
 raifing him from the dead, and taking him 
 up into heaven, in confirmation of the pro- 
 mife of eternal Hfe, under his adminiflra- 
 tion, and which agrees with the exprefs doc- 
 trine of the Encharift, — the new tefament in 
 my blond. And with St. P<f/^r's report, when 
 he fays, — who raifed him up from the dead^ 
 and gave him glory, that our faith and hope 
 mighi be in God. i Pet. i. 21. 
 
 As to that declaration, for even Chrift our 
 pajfover is facrificed for us, we may well ad- 
 mit his death to be fitly imaged by an allu- 
 fion 
 
26 Of the dodirine of the Eucharifl', 
 
 fion to the bloud of the pafcal Iamb ; for* 
 afmuch as that bloud fprinkled on the doors, 
 of the Ifraelites, was their fecurity from the 
 deftroying angel j whofe commiilion was, 
 at one inftant of time, in the dead of the 
 night, to cut off ih^Jirft-born of Egypt ^ both 
 of man and beaft. As therefore the bloud 
 of the pafcal Iamb, was the fymbol of fafcty 
 to the Ifraelites, fo the bloud of Chrift is 
 made to us, the fymbol of fafety from the 
 power of death ; for through death he has 
 deftroyed him who had the power of death, 
 that is, the devil j or an accufing confci- 
 ence.* Heb. ii. 14. compared with i Cor, 
 XV. 56. the fting of death is fin, — But the 
 bloud of Cbrifty offered without fpot to God^ 
 purgeth the confci ence from dead works toferve 
 the living God, Heb. ix. 14. His death de- 
 monftrates and convinces of the evil of fin, 
 the malignity of worldlinefs ; and fo it 
 purgeth the confcience from whatever would 
 
 * Conformable to which fenfe, Chryfojiotn, Tlj^cdo- 
 ret, zudTheopbylaJfohkrvey upon i Cor. vii. 5. " That 
 •« it is not fatan tempting, but our lufts." — See Dr. 
 Whitby's Protefiant Reconciler, p. 124, edit, of 
 1683. 
 
 be 
 
Of the doBrine of the Eucharifl, 27 
 
 be deftruAive and deadly. Thus has Chrift, 
 by dying, deftroyed him that had the power 
 of death, an evil accufing confcience ; and 
 by this efFed on the human mind, he has 
 abolilhed death, or made void its dominion. 
 In this allufive fenfe, Chrift is intelligibly 
 faid to be, our pajfover facrifced for us. 
 
 A fenfe in which he is alfo faid to have 
 been delivered for our offences, to be madefn 
 for US', and who, as concerning fn^ 's^t 
 ufM^licbs, condemned fin in the flefh, i. e. in the 
 world, Rom. viii. 3. We learn the deadly 
 evil of (in in the death of Chrift ; we per- 
 ceive how vicious paflions do blind the eye, 
 and harden the heart, and render men capa- 
 ble of any degree of impiety : and upon this 
 convi(5tion wrought in us, we recover to rea- 
 fbn and redtitude, and rife to life and im- 
 mortality. 
 
 The death of Chrift is often reprefented 
 as propitiatory. And fo truly it is, as it re- 
 conciles men to truth and God. Chrift died 
 to this end j but not to propitiate deity, or 
 render him more merciful in his nature and 
 
 difpofition 
 
28 Of the do5irine of the Eucharifi, 
 
 dlfpofidon towards man. " God fo loved 
 " the world, as to give his only begotten 
 " fon, that whofoever beheves in him (hould 
 ** not perifli, but have eternal life. And 
 ** Chrift alfo gave himfelf for us, that he 
 *' might redeem us from all iniquity, and 
 " purify unto himfelf a peculiar people, zea- 
 *' lous of good works." There is no man- 
 ner of change made in deity by the death 
 of Chrifl J but it was according to the will 
 of GoJy even our father y that he gave him- 
 felf for our fins y by delivering us from the evil 
 of this prefenf world^ Gal. i. 4. So that, 
 deliveri?ig himfelf for our fins^ wVsf lav ccfAccf^ 
 lay tiiAcov, was, delivering himfelf for our 
 convidion of the evil of them, and for our 
 deliverance from them. And this was " ac- 
 " cording to the will of God, and our fa- 
 " ther, who would have all men be favedy 
 " and come to the knowledge of the truth** 
 
 The want of feeing the immutable unme- 
 rited grace and love of God, as revealed in 
 the gofpel, or elfe the ftrange delire of find- 
 ing myftery in the death of Chrift, has oc- 
 cafioned great confufion and abfurdity in 
 3 men's 
 
Of the doBrine of the Euchariji, 2 9 
 
 men's conceptions. And not a few are found 
 refembling the infidel Jews, whofe defires 
 and hopes were confined to the prefent 
 fcenes of fenfible fruition. They want no- 
 thing fpiritual, nor to have any concerns in 
 a future ftate of exiftence. No wonder thefe 
 diflike the divinely pure moral of the 
 New T^efiament fyftem; or that they ima- 
 gine the fpirit of the gofpel much too refined 
 and heavenly for their tafte and relifh. But, 
 upon a fuppofition of our being defigned for a 
 future exiftence, and that a ftate of recom- 
 pencc muft fucceed this probation \ there is 
 no fcheme of inftrudtion could be more ac- 
 commodated to both the prefent and future 
 condition of man, than that of the gofpel : 
 for every fober, thoughtful mind muft ac- 
 knowledge, that all its dodlrines, precepts, 
 principles and promifes do fupport on reafon, 
 nature, truth, the law oi relation, or the will 
 of God. 
 
 This might be confirmed, by obfervino;, 
 
 that every fahitary influence or effed:, faid 
 
 to refult from the death of Chrift, is always 
 
 G expreftivc 
 
30 Of the do Brine of the Eucharijl, 
 
 expreflive of what is fpiiltual and moraL 
 Among numerous pafTages, let the following 
 be confulted, ABs iii. 20. Rom. xiv. 8, 9. 
 Gal. i. 4. 7"//. ii. 1 1 , 12. In no one refped: 
 can the death of Chrift be the means of fal- 
 vation to any man, further than it promotes 
 his fpirituality, purity, or morality. Thus 
 only can we confider the bloud of Chrift to 
 be propitiatory, as it reconciles us to God. 
 
 In a right celebration of the Eucharift, we 
 exprefs our gratitude and praife to the God 
 and father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, for the 
 rnanifeftation of his truth, and grace made 
 by him : we avow a fubjedtion to the fceptre 
 of this one Lord, by a conformity of temper 
 and life to all his laws, and to the fpirit of 
 liis example j and we renew and re-invigo- 
 rate our refolutions to be acquiefcent and re- 
 ligned to every divine allotment : we profefs 
 to live in charity with all mankind, and to 
 have a brotherly affection for all chriflians : 
 and we alfo declare ourfelves the expec- 
 tants of our Lord's coming to us, as a Sa- 
 viour who will change our vile bodies, andfa- 
 fhion them like to his glorified body, by that ef- 
 
 fcBual 
 
Of the doBrine of the Eiicharift. 3 1 
 
 feBual efiergy, whereby he is eve?t able to 
 fubdue all things u7xto himjelf. Such is the 
 
 ipiritual and moral nature of the Eucharifl-, 
 
 in its original and divine intention. 
 
 §. IV. T^he per fans who are properly quali- 
 fedfor the celebration. 
 
 Every perfon may be qualified for cele- 
 brating the Eucharifl:, v/ho has the facred 
 volume of the New T'eftament in his hand, 
 can confult that divine record, and form a 
 judgment of its inftrudion.-— The properly 
 and duly qualified, are fuch only who do re- 
 verence thofe facred writings, and religioufly 
 atterjd to them aa a divine rule of lite, and 
 as the kw of the final judgment : confcien- 
 tioufly conforming to all their infl:rud:ion, 
 and felicitous to improve and. efliablilli in 
 thofe principles of piety and virtue which 
 they inculcate. Moreover, becaufe thefc 
 fcriptures reprefent it to be the duty of the 
 chriftian to examine himfelf and foe at of that 
 bread and drink of that cup, i Cor. xi. 28. 
 he will carefully inquire into the nature, de- 
 Ijgn, and end of the Euchariftical celebra- 
 Q 2 tion. 
 
3 2 Of the doSirine of the Eucharijl. 
 
 tion, in order that he may difcern the Lord's, 
 body^^ i. e. he muft diftinguifh it from all 
 
 other 
 
 * This, at once, cuts ofF all prieftly pretenfion : 
 and difallows of any authority in churches to make bye 
 laws, or exclufive terms of chriftian communion. *' A 
 *' chriftian church has its terms and laws fettled by 
 *' Chrilt ; it is his church, and the table is the LorcCs 
 *' table, and the minifters are Chrift's minifters : and 
 *' it is the higheft ufurpation in us to make inclofures, 
 ** when he has left it open; and to turn out members, 
 *' or paftors from their ofHce, if they walk and aft ac- 
 ** cording to their chriftian ftation : and men need be 
 " fure, that the denying their unfcriptural lefts and 
 ' Shibboleths is fuch a crime as will juftify their pro- 
 *' ceedings." See the Rev. Mr. Thomas Emlyn's 
 tra£iSy vol. I. p. 70. 4th edit. 
 
 Chillingworth fays, " take away this perfe- 
 " ,cuting, burning, curfing, damning of men for not 
 *' fubfcribing to the words of men^ as the words of God. 
 " Require of chriftians only to believe Chrift, and to 
 *' call no ?nan ynafter., but him only ; let thofe leave 
 ** claiming infallibility, who have no title to it j and 
 " let them who in words difclaim it, difclaim it alfo 
 " in their actions ; in a word, take away tyranny, 
 *' which is the devil's inftrument to fupport errors, fu- 
 *' perftitions and impieties, — and reftore chriftians to 
 *' their juft and full liberty of captivating their under- 
 '•'■ Jiandingto fcripture only." See his Religion of Pro- 
 tejlants, p. 152. 4th edit. 1674. There are, never- 
 thclefs, (bine who are too afTuming ; for they require 
 
 of" 
 
Of the doBrine of the Eucharif, 33 
 
 other eating and drinking, which have no 
 other end, than either that of bodily nou- 
 
 rlfhment, 
 
 of the propofed communicant, that he draw up, or 
 procure the drawing up his experiences; which he 
 is to deliver to perfons appointed to be triers zndjuiiges 
 of his meetnefs ; a method that encourages the gri- 
 mace and hypocrify of profeflion : whilfl: it comph- 
 ments the vanity afld pride of fuch, whomuftbe thus 
 confulted before his admiffion. But, how contrary is 
 this practice to the apoftoHcal canon ? that makes it 
 every man's own province to enter into an examina- 
 tion of himfclf, and to judge of his own meetnefs; 
 which, no doubt, is juft and reafonable. And afTured 
 we are, all other methods are unauthorized, either by 
 by our Lord, or by his apoftles. We alfo here plainly 
 difcern, that infants are abfolutely incapable of the ce- 
 lebration ; becaufe they are not of ability for forming 
 any judgment of the defign of the Eucharift, or of the 
 requifite fclf-examination. 
 
 And as to all grown perfons, who are not in earned 
 in their religious profeflion, but remain under the ty- 
 ranny of fome luft or pafiion, they will not be able to 
 difcern the Lord's body^ or to eat and drink worthily ; 
 becaufe the due participation does imply integrity 
 of mind, and an unrefervednefs in devotion. JVe can- 
 not drink the cup of the Lordy and at the fame time drink 
 the cup of demons^ \ Cor. x. 2i, which is a contradic- 
 tion men would gladly reconcile, who partake of the 
 £ucharift, whilft allowing themfelves in fome criminal 
 
 gratification. 
 
34 Q/' ^^^ dodirine of the Euchanjf. 
 
 rifliment, elfe the gratification of the palate 
 or tafte. Whereas this eating and drinking 
 has a fpiritual moral meaning and end j for 
 it is an open focial a6l, which acknowledges 
 the fpiritual and heavenly benefits of our liv- 
 ing upon his inftrudtions, who died with- 
 out the gates of Jerufalem, a moft fhameful^ 
 ignominious, and painful death. 
 
 The literal and grofs idea of eating his 
 fiefli, and drinking his bloud, could ne- 
 ver have entered the heart of man, had 
 not ignorance, fuperftition, and a fond- 
 nefs of myflery, fuggefted the extrava- 
 gance. — When the divine Jefus ufed thofe 
 high figures, of eating his flefh and drink- 
 ing his bloudy he knew the people had been 
 accuftomed to them; for their lawgrver had 
 
 gratification. Yet no man can duly partake of the Eu- 
 charift, who is the flave of fome luft. 
 
 But then all his other a£ls of homage, are likewife 
 fo many expreflions of hypocrify. He will certainly be 
 condemned by the judge, " whofe confcience is not 
 *' void of offence, both toward God and toward man." 
 All fuch perfons, therefore, muft be unfit for this holy 
 communion, though of this unfitnefs, they theni- 
 felves may b,e the only competent judges. 
 
 informe(i 
 
Of the doctrine of the Euchariji. 3 5 
 
 ifiiformed them, that man lives not by bread 
 alone y but by every word which proceedeth out 
 of the mouth of God y does man live, Deut. viii. 
 3. And belides this, our Lord would not 
 be miftaken by any difciple j for he explains 
 himfelf in the very fame difcourfe. " It is 
 " the fpirit that quickneth, the flefh pro- 
 ** fiteth nothing : my words they are fpirit, 
 " and they are life," Joh. vi. 63. Hence, 
 •' his TEACHINGS are that Uving bread which 
 " came down from heaven; of which, if a 
 " man eat, he fhall live for ever/' To be 
 able therefore to digeft, as well as to tafte 
 with pleafure, his inftru6tions, verily is, to eat 
 hisflejhy and drink his blond. So that all pi- 
 ous perfons who difcern this dod;rine of the 
 Eucharift, are duly qualified for the celebra- 
 tion ; they, as the apoftle expreffeth him- 
 felf, can difcern his body. And furely, not 
 any thing is more reafonable, natural, or fig- 
 nificant, than this fenfe of eating the me- 
 morial bread, and drinking the memorial cup, 
 as a religious avowal of cur devotednefs to 
 truth and God, upon the very plan of his 
 teachings, whofe death we thereby comme- 
 morate. 
 
 Upon 
 
36 Of the doSirine of the Euchartfl.^ 
 
 Upon the whole, it is evident, that an ho- 
 neft mind, perfuaded oifefus being thepro- 
 mifed Saviour of the world, and that the 
 gofpel hiftory does contain the fcheme of his 
 heavenly inftrudlions, and who is, at the 
 fame time, defirous to approve himfelf a 
 difciple and fervant of this one Lord, has an 
 undoubted right, as he is duly qualified for 
 celebrating the Euchariftical memorials of his 
 fufferings and death. 
 
 §. V. T'he chrijlian's obligation to celebrate 
 the Eucharif, perpetual. 
 
 The perpetuity of the inftitution, might 
 be argued from its nature, defign, and ten- 
 dency. — But let us look back, and a little 
 contemplate the propriety and fitnefs of the 
 celebration, of which notice has been already 
 taken under the firil fedion. From the face of 
 fa(^s, as they are found in the facred records, 
 fuch celebration was highly reafonable; in- 
 afmuch as by prophecy and promife, this 
 feed of the woman ^2,'=> fo confpicuouily di- 
 ftineuifhed from all others of mankind; and 
 accordingly, a general expedation of him 
 
 did 
 
Of the doBrine of the Eiichariji. 3 7 
 
 did obtain at the very time of his birth. The 
 Jews were very well aflared he mufl be one 
 of their own nation, of the feed of Ah-a- 
 ham, and of the family of David. Nor 
 were they lefs confident that when he once 
 came, he would take the fceptre, and aflert 
 a civil fovereignty, eftabliOiing an univerfal 
 empire! and that under his rule, they fliould 
 be indulged in every fenfitive and animal gra- 
 tification. No fooner did they find them- 
 felves miftaken in him, whom they would 
 have made their king, or captain general^ 
 but they confpired againft him as an im- 
 poflor and blafphemer j and put him to a 
 mod: ignominious, dolorous, and cruel death. 
 
 Thus the fadls ftand in the facred record. 
 — And can any human mind think it reafon- 
 able, that fuch an event fbould be buried ia 
 oblivion ? that no monument fhould be 
 ereded, that might live throughout the ages 
 of the world, and tranfmit the aflonifhing 
 treatment of this divine charad:er to all na- 
 tions, as well as to all ages ? this will be al- 
 lowed to be reafonable indeed, if all man- 
 k,ind, of every fucceeding age, are found in- 
 H terefted 
 
38 OfthedoBrineoftheEuchariJi. 
 
 terefted in his miniftrations and appoint- 
 ments, whom the great God has conftituted 
 Lord over the dead and the living. — But this 
 divine intention is fully accomplifhed by the 
 Euchariftj at the fame time it is extremely 
 difBcult to conceive of any other poffible me- 
 thod of trarifmitting the evidence fo expref- 
 iively and univerfally. 
 
 The beneficial ends, attainable from the 
 celebration of the Eucharill:, by the firft 
 chrifrians, are equally yet attainable; and 
 will remain fo, whilft the chriltian is ex- 
 pofed to danger by the impreffions of this 
 material fyflem ; whilft any trials of his 
 faith and patience remain -, or, fo long as a 
 finifhed example of humility, refignation, 
 and fortitude can avail him of benefit, fo 
 long the religious celebration of the Eucha- 
 rift will be found divinely ufeful to the chri- 
 ftian. 
 
 But befides the nature and end of the 
 inftitution, from whence we might argue its 
 perpetuity^ we have the teftimony of an apof- 
 tle, who afTures us, " that he received cf 
 
 '* the 
 
Of the doBrine of the Encharifl. 39 
 
 *' the Lord, by revelation, that chriftians do 
 " celebrate the memorials of his death till 
 " he come,*' i Cor. ii. 26. As often as ye eat 
 this bread and drink this cup, ye doJheWy or 
 Jhew ye the Lord's death till he come. It would 
 be groundlefs to conclude that he meant, //// 
 the effufon of the fpirit ; becaufe this tefti- 
 mony concerning the ^ucharifl, was given 
 long after that coming of Chrift : and the ex- 
 hortation would therefore have been imper- 
 tinent. Altogether as unreafonable it muft 
 be to underftand it, of his comi?ig to the de~ 
 ftriiBion of ferufalem ; becaufe the liturgy 
 of the chriftian church at Corinth had no 
 fort of dependence on the fate of the He- 
 brew polity, or national fyftem. And one 
 might add the teftimonies already mentioned 
 of P/?";z)', T'atian^ and others, which harmo- 
 nioufly fliew, that it has been the univerfal 
 pracftice of the chriflian church to celebrate 
 the memorials of Chrifl's death, by eating 
 and drinking euchariftically. 
 
 Farther^ there cannot, we prefume, be 
 
 one fingle reafon adduced, that would fliew 
 
 H 2 the 
 
40 OJ the doBrine of the Eucharifi» 
 
 the obfervance tb be of kfs propriety or ufc, 
 though the coming ofChriJi fhould be applied 
 to the end of the lives of any given number 
 of the firfl: chriflians j forafmuch as Jcfus did 
 exprefsly declare, that the gates of hades or 
 death fiould not prevail againji his church. 
 Confequently, what did ferve to diftingifh 
 the firft difciples, by a religious focial 
 tranfadion, in their day, w^ould remain the 
 duty of chriflians in all after-ages ; inafmuch 
 as they have ever had but one and the fame 
 invariable and univerfal rule of faith and wor- 
 fliip. If therefore we fliould apply the com- 
 ing of Chrift to the ultimate completion of 
 the Catholic church, it will fignify the end of 
 the isoorU, And verily, this evidence of the 
 truth of chrillianity exhibited by the Eucha- 
 rift, will not wax old and infirm, nor dimi- 
 ni{h in its vigour, unlefs we can fuppofe that 
 the truth and grace of God may hereafter 
 become of lefs ufe and benefit to mankind : 
 the obligation to obferve the ritual, muft 
 then remain in full force, fo long as it can 
 be profitable to the chridian to contemplate 
 the cleareft manifeftation of the propitious 
 
 nature 
 
Of the doSfrine of the Eucharift. 4 1 
 
 nature of God j the freenefs of pardoning 
 mercy; and the plenitude of that grace, 
 which has promifed eternal life to all who 
 fhall be in earneft in the chriftian profeffion. 
 
 §. VI. ^e erroneous and fuperjlitious opi- 
 nionSj which have obtained concerning the Eu- 
 chariji. 
 
 It is apparent, from St. Paul*s epiftle to 
 the Corinthians^ that chriftians had, in his 
 day, very much perverted the defign of the 
 Eucharift. They did not preferve the reli- 
 gion of the ritual ; but they eat and drank to 
 excefs. — In very early ages of the church, 
 they had likewife covered the ritual with my- 
 ftery ; and accordingly had their " Mijfa Fi' 
 *' delium, or communion fervice, fo called, 
 ** becaufe none might be prefent at it but 
 " communicants only, as appears from fo- 
 *' lemn forms of difmifling all others before it 
 ** began.*" This was a fervice diftinguiflied 
 from the MiJfa Catechume?iorumj which 
 preceded the prayers at the altar. 
 
 * Bingham's Ch. Antiq. B. XIII. c. i. (ec. 3. 
 
 But 
 
42 Of the dodlrine of the Euchariji, 
 
 But how high their fuperftition did run 
 about the Eucharift, may be feen from the 
 cuftom of giving it to infants. " So, in the 
 time oi Cyprian^ it was ufual for children 
 and fucking infants to receive the facra- 
 ment, unto whom it was neccffary parti- 
 cularly to deliver the elements. — And 
 when a fucking girl refufed to tafte the fa- 
 cramental wine, the deacon violently 
 forced it down her throat.*" The other 
 hiftorian fays, " it was a known pradiice and 
 
 * cuftom in the ancient church, of giving 
 ' the Eucharift to infants^ which continued 
 
 * in the church for feveral ages. It is fre- 
 
 * quently mentioned in Cyprian^ Aujiin, 
 '■ Innocentim and Gen?iadius, writers from 
 
 * the third to the fifth century. Maldonat 
 
 * confeftes it was in the church for fix hun- 
 
 * dred years. -f-" hwdi again y "it is beyond 
 
 * difpute that the church baptized infants, 
 ' and gave them the undion of chrifm 
 
 * with impofition of hands for confirma- 
 ^ mation, fo fl:ie immediately admitted them 
 
 * L. Being's conftitutions, &c. Part II. ch. vi. fee. 6. 
 f Bjn.cham'j Ch. Autiq. B. XII. ch. i. fee. 3. 
 
 to 
 
OfthedodirineoftheEuchariJi. 43 
 
 ** to a participation of the Euchariftj as 
 " foon as they were baptized, and ever after 
 " without exception.*'* 
 
 Nay, Dr. Whitby has obferved, that 
 Mr. Dally, in a large chapter on that fub- 
 jed: (referring us to his De cultibus) has 
 proved, '^ that it was the conftant cuftom of 
 *^ the whole church of God, from the third 
 " to the twelfth century, to minifter the Eu- 
 *' charift to baptized infants ; which thing 
 ** they alfo declared to be necefjary for the 
 " remiflion of fins, and the falvation of the 
 "infant; and alfo pleaded fcripture for the 
 *' proof of what they faid." See his prot. 
 recon. p. 289, 290. An idea of the churchy 
 not much to its reputation, and would lead 
 us to conclude, that ignorance and fuper- 
 ftition were its chief pillars. 
 
 To fuch an aftonifhing height of extrava- 
 gance, ecckjtajiics were wont to carry their 
 fuperftitious regards to the Euchariri:. They 
 
 ^ Bingham's Antiq. B. XV. c. iv. fee. 7. 
 
 had 
 
44 Of the do5irine of the Euchariji, 
 
 had firft affixed to baptism a regenerating 
 efficacy ; and when they had once done this, 
 they could apply to the baptized whatever they 
 fancied did, or might poffibly belong to the 
 chriftian fyftem of ritual.* In this fupcr- 
 
 flitious 
 
 * It is of the nature of enthufiafm, to run all its 
 '* opinions into extremes ;" elfe one would be aftp- 
 ftoniftied at finding any afcribe to baptifm, an injlanta- 
 neous regenerating power. For verily, we can be very 
 confident, that the New Tejiatnent never once incul- 
 cates on the mind of the reader fuch an idea of baptifm. 
 On the contrary, it always fuppofes, that tbofe adult 
 perfons whe defired baptifm, were already become be- 
 lievers } and not that baptifm had had the converting 
 and regenerating efFe<5t. Baptifm, verily, did no more 
 to them than it did to their infants, i. e. it iniated both 
 the one and the other into a kingdom or conftitution of 
 truth and mercy ; and entitled them to the immunities 
 and privileges of a divine polity. Yet fome who would 
 be called Proteftants, have faid as extravagant things of 
 baptifm^ as " Pagans in India Aooi the purifying virtue-* 
 *' of the river Ganges^ to which they afcribe a faving 
 *' influence : for however immoral their lives, if they 
 *' are but plunged in the river Ganges^ theyfhall find 
 *' their v/ay, without any difficulty, to the regions of 
 *' light and happinefs." — IFriters, who confult the 
 fenie of the church, rather than that of the facred can- 
 non, maybe expe<f{:ed to deliver very crude and abfurd 
 
 notioast 
 
Of the do6irine of the Eiichartjl^ 45 
 
 ftitious application of an heavenly divine ri- 
 tual, we may v^^ell conclude, that the church 
 would be difpofing apace for a farther dege- 
 neracy : and anon we read of oecumenical 
 •councils tranfubfidntiating the elements of 
 bread and wine, ufed at the memorial fup- 
 per, into the real body and blood of Chrift. 
 And upon no better foundation than that of 
 Chrift's faying, this is my body. It is 
 therefore ordained, that men believe the 
 real prefence of Chrift, when the prieft has 
 once confecrated the elements. The com- 
 municant is taught to imagine, that when 
 Jefus brake the bread, he brake his own 
 body ; and when he bade them take afid eat^ 
 he bade them take and eat his own bodv ; 
 that when each of his difciples had eaten an 
 whole body, he arofe from table and went 
 out with them, his body being unbroken 
 and uneaten 5 and in that condition was ap- 
 
 notions about faith^ gmce^ haptifrn^ and regeneration. 
 But fo it has been, we fee, in thofe ages of the church, 
 when not content with baptizing infants, they muft 
 apply to them not only the ufelefs, frivolous, paultry 
 rites oi cJnlfm and ctnfirniation^ but even the divine rite 
 of the Eucharifr, 
 
 I prehended, 
 
46 Of the do Brine of the Eucharifi, 
 
 prehended, after he had agonized in the gar- 
 den. 
 
 Nay, there is an addition made to this 
 extravagance, for what is called the Romifli 
 apoftolic church has mutilated or maimed the 
 plan of celebration: inafmuch as becaufe 
 Jefus has exprefsly faid of the cup, drink ye 
 all of it 'j the prefuming prieft only drinks 
 of the cup, and will not fuiifer the laity a 
 tafte with him. So fludious has popery been^ 
 in all poffible ^ays, to prevert the original 
 plain defign of this divine inftitution. 
 
 Other churches there are, who rejedl 
 tranfubfafitiation, or 'deny a change of the 
 elements into the real body and bloud of 
 Chrift; which yet hold a fubftantial prefence 
 of Chrift with the elements.— -The opinion 
 of the Greek church j the Lutheran tenet of 
 confubftantiation, or impanation. 
 
 A more modern monftrous perverfion of 
 the Eucharift, is that of making a celebra-^ 
 tion thereof, the communicant's neceffary 
 qualification for civil honours and worldly 
 
 profits. 
 
Of the doBrine of the Eticharifi. 47 
 
 profits. A ritual, that was deiigned to fet 
 before all chriftians the exemplary contempt 
 which our blefTed Lord had of the world, is 
 thus made the requilite means of gratifying^ 
 avarice and ambition, in the communicant. 
 — What? — could no greater fecurity be 
 given of loyalty to a prince, or of fidehty to 
 a civil conflitution, than to cele'brate the me- 
 morials of his death who refufed the civil 
 preferment, and rejedied with difdain the fe- 
 cular honour ! the abfurdity is fo glaring, 
 that we cannot forbear making this conclu- 
 fion, viz. that becaufe one fort of nominal 
 chriftians had been capable of inventing or 
 creating that monfter, transubstantia- 
 tion! another fort would try if they could 
 not match the invention, with an equally fliock- 
 ing abfurdity 1 but, what child is there who 
 cannot fee the unreafonablenefs of fuppofing, 
 fuch a flagrant proftitution of a divine ap- 
 pointment (by the one heavenly Lord) a good 
 fecurity of allegiance to an earthly prince, 
 and of the reverence due to the majefty of a 
 free people ? 
 
 I 2 It 
 
48 Of the doBrine of the 'Eiicharifl, 
 
 It deferves ferioufly to be confidered, by 
 all who revere this holy rite, whether fach 
 celebration be not to eat this bread, and 
 drink this cup of the Lord unworthily^ i, e, 
 even fo as to be guilty oi prophaning the fym- 
 bols of the body and bloud of the Lord, 
 They who partake of the Eucharift without 
 any meaning, or with one quite foreign to 
 the delign of the inflitution, do, in the fenfe 
 ofanapoftle, incur J iidgmefit on themfelves, 
 not difcerning the Lord's body. On which 
 account, he tells us, many Corinthian chrif- 
 tians werefckfyj and many flept , The hand 
 of God did punifli fuch wanton ad:s of im- 
 piety in the firft chriflians, in order to in- 
 fpire with caution the after-communicant, 
 -and create a becoming veneration of the ri- 
 tual. It was in demonftration of its divine 
 original, and pointed out the neceflity there 
 was of examining and judging of themfelves, 
 that they might not be judged and con- 
 demned with the world. 
 
 Many of the churches abovementioned, 
 have made ufe of the Eucharift as a charm^ 
 
 • expeding 
 
Of the doBrine of the Eucharift, 49 
 
 cxpedting it to operate even in the dying 
 hour ; and by a kind of forcery, they thereon 
 ■give abfolution, and declare it a good pass- 
 port to heaven. Here will be requiiite, a 
 blind implicit faith in the receiver ; and no 
 fmall alTurance in the adminiflrator. 
 
 Quakerism, by avoiding all thefe ex- 
 tremes, has apparently run into another^ and 
 ipftead of celebrating thefe memorials of 
 the fufFerings and death of Chrifl:, has re- 
 prefented the obfervance to be only fpiritual 
 and internal. Barclay allcs, " doth not 
 " this contending for the ufe of watery 
 " bread and wine^ as neceffary parts of gof- 
 '* pel worfliip, deftroy the nature of it, as if 
 " the gofpel vi'ere a difpenfation oi fiadowSy 
 " and not of the fiibfance F" — He again 
 afks, *' what ground from fcripture or rea- 
 ** fon can our adverfaries bring us to evince, 
 " that one fiadow or fgure fliould point to 
 " another /Z'^^o'k; ox figure^ and not to the 
 ^' fubJlanceV After this he takes notice 
 *' of the fupper having been given to young 
 ^' boys and little children : and then ob- 
 ^* ferves, what little weight fhould be laid 
 
 " upon 
 
50 Of the doBrtne of the Euchariji^ 
 
 *' upon antiquity." — See his Xlllth propor 
 fition, fedions 9th and loth. 
 
 But how very fophiftical and delufive this 
 fort of reafoning? it does not, in the leaft, 
 affed: the view we have taken of the doc- 
 trine of the Eucharift. Since eating memo- 
 morial bread, and drinking memorial wine, 
 are, truly and properly, the monument of a 
 fa5i J and not one (hadow or figure of ano- 
 ther (hadow or figure. Even this very writer ^ 
 fpeaking of the life, death, fufferings" and 
 obedience of Chrift, fays, '* they made a 
 ** way for our reconciliation^ and became a 
 " facrifice for the remiffion of fins that are 
 " paft." — -See under his Vllth propofition, 
 p. 226. By his own confefilpn therefore, 
 the fufferings and death, and obedience of 
 Chrift, which we recognize in the Eucha- 
 ?•//?, are fad:s., yea, they are with him inte- 
 refi:ing fadls j and therefore cannot but de- 
 ferve a religious commemoration. Yet it 
 muft be confefied, that in very modern 
 times, and in more reformed chu.xhes, 
 much fuperjiition has prevailed about the 
 
 Eucharifl. 
 
of the doBrine of the Encharijl, 5 i 
 
 Eucharift. In fome, a folemnity is given to 
 it, by the iirfrequency of the celebration. The 
 communion tables are crowded, where it is 
 adminiftred but annually, or at befl quar- 
 terly; with preparation days, to create the 
 greater reverence. In others, Chrijlmas Day 
 and Good Friday have an emphafis laid upon 
 them 3 though the New Tejia?ne?2t canon ne- 
 ver mentions thechriflians breaking memorial 
 bread, on any other than thtjirjl day of the 
 week.* And, in truth, fuch is the fuper- 
 ftitious difpofition of the profeffing chriftian 
 world, that the more any ritual is covered 
 with myjlery, and made important by bigo- 
 
 * Some difficulty feems to arlfe in the way of the 
 Sabbatarian, who will {znQ(\^y i\\Q feventh, and not the 
 xh^firji day of the week ; /. e. if the breaking of bread 
 on the firft day, mentioned by Luke, intends the Eu- 
 charift, (as we have underftood it to be a diftinguifhing 
 ritual in the chriftian liturgy) then the pradice of the 
 Sabbatarian is not fo defenfible. We alfo lay ftrefs pa 
 the chriftian's making charitable colledions on that day, 
 I Cor, xvi. 2. and on Johns mentioning the Lord's Day^ 
 Apoc.'i. 10. And if the pentecoft efFufion of the fpirit 
 was alfo on that day, it muft be held diftingulfhingly 
 facred, in the efteem of chriftians. — See and confult 
 Lightfoot's works, vol. II. p. 642. 
 
 try, 
 
52 Of the doBrtne of the Eucharift, 
 
 try, the more numerous and devout are its 
 
 obfervers. 
 
 §. VII. Ohfervatiom made on the doBrinei 
 
 I. It was certainly known to be an un- 
 deniable fadt, in the firft age of the obfer- 
 vance, that the Eucharift was inftituted by 
 Jefus Chrift himfelf, juft as the gofpel hi- 
 ftory reports ; elfe it could never have be- 
 come the dijitnguijhing ritual of chriftian fo- 
 cial worfhip. We are afTured, it could not 
 be of later original, than the New 'Teftament 
 report has made of it : for had it not at firft 
 been well attefted by a fufficient number of 
 credible witneffes, tradition would have 
 been too fiend er a fupport for this kind of 
 celebration. Nay, had it not been the di- 
 flinguiihing ritual of the firft chriftians fe- 
 cial worfhip, it could never have obtained 
 fuch obfervance; becaufe in the whole fa- 
 cred hiftory of the ritual, as it lies in the 
 canon, it is fo reprefented. But if there had 
 been any fallacy in this report, made by the 
 apoftle Paid and the evangelift Luke, when 
 writing the hillory of the firft planting of 
 
 the 
 
OfthedoBrineoftheEucharift* ^y 
 
 the chriftian church, the attempt to recom- 
 mend and enforce fuch 2ijingular obfervance,^ 
 muft have been treated with deferved ridi- 
 cule and contempt. 
 
 Nor have we the leaft reafon to fuppofe^ 
 that fuch an inftitution would have been in- 
 ferted by three of the four evangelifts, or 
 biographers^ who drew up the life of Chrift^ 
 had they not feen, that the inflitution itfelf 
 was worthy of him ; and muft be an im- 
 mortal monument of a facft, which is uni- 
 verfally and everlaftingly interefting to man- 
 kinds 
 
 Indeed in the iirft celebration, as per- 
 formed by Chrift and his apoftles, it could not 
 be called the memorial of a fadl which was 
 yet future j but then that very ritual fo infti- 
 tuted, was in all after-times to be celebrated 
 as a monument or memorial of his fufferings 
 and death, who could, with his difciples^ 
 compofedly eat bread and drink wine with 
 tha?ikfgi'vings to God, over thofe views which 
 he had of his own approaching crucifixion. 
 
 K Our 
 
58 Of the doSirine oftheEucharifi, 
 
 Our faith may then be firmly eftablifhed 
 in the credibility of the gofpel hiflory ; lince 
 not only the nature, defign, and end of the 
 Eucharift, but the circumftances of its ori- 
 gination, render it utter h improbable, if not 
 abibbjtely impofTible, that it fhould have 
 owed its exiftence to any artful contrivance, 
 or political invention. Nay, we might in- 
 fer its genuinely divine original, from the va- 
 rious amazing fupcrflitions vi^hich have ob- 
 tained, in the celebration of it among chrif- 
 
 tians. 
 
 tr 
 
 11. The plainnefs, purity, and nioral ten- 
 dency of theinttitution, ihould recommend 
 the Eucharifl: to the celebration of all lincere 
 believers. The expreffive limplicity of it is 
 man'feft; being no other than to eat bread 
 
 and drink wine (thofe natural fupports and 
 cordials of animal human life) in comme- 
 moration of his fufferings and death, wha 
 has fhewn us, by his inftru(flions, what are 
 the real and true principles of fpirltual and 
 immortal life: fince by his crucifixion we 
 we are taught, what muit be the deadly ten- 
 dency 
 
Of the dodirine of the Eucharlfl, 59 
 
 dency of all thofe propenfii ies and indulgen- 
 gences, which are of a groveling and worldly 
 complexion. We fee how the iniquities of 
 men, governed by lull:, did meet upon him. 
 And in what a convincing manner he has 
 expofed to our averfion and abhorrence, all 
 that is of the world, 
 
 Again, the very celebration has an hea- 
 venly and divine tendency J iince we openly, 
 folemnly profefs, by that tranfadion, to ap- 
 prove his condudt, to admire and emulate 
 the greatnefs of his mind, who, when he 
 was led to Calvary y moved meekly along, 
 juji as a lamb goes to the jlaughter, and as a 
 JJoeep before her de'vourcrs is dumb, fo he 
 opened not his mouth. By this commemoration, 
 we avow a refolution to referable him in 
 temper and lifej keeping ourfelves free from 
 all tyrannizing and enllaving paffions ; fuch 
 as avarice, pride and fenfuality. We gain a 
 farther advantage, by contemplating him, as 
 luftaining the torture with fo much dignity, 
 from the eye he had to the recompence of re- 
 ward. With fuch reference we alfo become 
 enabled to fupport under every prefent pain- 
 ful en iu ranee. 
 
 K 2 , Moreover^ 
 
6o 0/ the do6irine of the Eucharifl, 
 
 Moreover^ becaufe he has aflured us, that 
 he went to the heavenly houfe of his father^ 
 with deiigns of preparing manfions for our 
 everlafting happy enjoyment ; nay, even to 
 take us to himfelf to behold the glory which 
 the father hath given hirn, in order to our 
 confirmation and eftabliihment in holinefs : 
 we, at his table, rurninate on the promife ; 
 folace ourielves in the profped: ; quicken and 
 invigorate all our preparations for his plcafr 
 ing and tranfporting advent. 
 
 Thefe are plain, rational, expreflive doc- 
 trines of the Eucharifl^ which fhould per- 
 fuade every lincere chriftian to a very de- 
 vout obfervance.— And furely no one who 
 believes that Chrift fpake, with an intention 
 to be obeyed by all his followers, when he 
 
 faid, DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME, 
 
 ican have a reafonable objection : becaufe it 
 pbligcs hirn to no more duties and fervices, 
 than he is already willing, nay, defirous to 
 perform. r-The fincerechriflian cannot think 
 that his Lord would have appointed this me- 
 morial, had he not feen the reafonablenefs 
 and ufefulnefs of it : fbrafmuch as he will 
 
 readily 
 
Of the ioBrine of the Eucharift, 6i 
 
 readily allow that his divine mafter had wif- 
 dom given him equal to his miflion, charac- 
 ter, and appointments. 
 
 More may be faid for the omiffion of thofc 
 chriftians, who have been difcouraged from 
 mifreprcfentation and mifapprehenfion j awed 
 by a wrong education, and deep-rooted pre- 
 judices. Yet even thofe profelTors fhould 
 'honeftly endeavour to remove prejudice, 
 and underftand clearly the nature and defign 
 of this inftitution. They (hould ; for there 
 is fomething very unaccountable in their con- 
 dudl, who can fatisfy themfelves in a courfe 
 of life, of which they hope neither to be 
 afraid or afhamed, when they come into the 
 prefence of the judge ; who are, neverthe- 
 lefs, either afraid or afhamed of coming to 
 his table. Unaccountable indeed it mufl be, 
 that a man {hall not think himfelf fidy quali- 
 fied for commemorating Chrift's death, who 
 has no kind of uneafinefs about his meetnefs 
 for the judicial prefence of Chrifl. 
 
 Does he fay, truly it is 'uery unfa (1 Aon able-, 
 and he chufeth not to have the fneer and ridi- 
 fuk of his acquaintance and companions ! 
 
 Such 
 
62 Of the doSirlne of the Eucharift,. 
 
 Such a one would do well to cor^lider, ^nd 
 afk himfelf, whether the good opinion of 
 Chrift, or ot* his companicro, will promife 
 him the moft fatisfadtion ? — There is great 
 and weighty meaning in that declaration of 
 our 'Lov^'s,-r-PP'boJoever Jhall conjefs me before 
 tnen^ him will I confefs aljo before my father 
 which is in heaven. But whofoever Jhall de- 
 ny me before men^ him will 1 alfo deny before 
 my father who is in heaven. May it not be 
 applicable to this, as well as to any other 
 kind of confeffion ? How far it is, every one 
 fliould judge impartially for himfelf. 
 
 III. Some well-meaning chriflians arc 
 deterred and afrVighted from the table of the 
 Lord, principally becaufe St. Paul fpeaks 
 of the unworthy communicant's eating and 
 drinking damnation^ oi judgment to himfelf; 
 when it is evident, that the Corinthians did 
 very prophanely pervert the defign of the Eu- 
 charift. They were intemperate in the fe- 
 ftival; they eat and drank to excefs J and the 
 rich feparated themfelves from the poor, al- 
 lowing them no fellowship with them. Which 
 the apoflle reproves, by faying, ** my bre- 
 
 ** thren, 
 
Of the dodlrine of the Eucharift. 63 
 
 *' thren, when ye come together to eat, i. e. 
 *• the Eucharift, tarry one for another. But 
 " if any man hunger, let him eat at home ; 
 ** that ye come not together unto condetnna- 
 " //o«."— There is therefore no reafon of 
 dread or terror, to any ferious and confcien- 
 tious chriftian, in his approach to the table 
 of the Lord, becaufe of thefe declarations 
 about eating and drinking unworthily, thereby 
 incurring damnation or judgment; But every 
 rnan may be afTured of efcaping fuch cen- 
 fure, who eats and drinks in acknowledg-^ 
 ment of his devotednefs to the one Lord^ 
 whofe advent he is daily waiting for. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
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