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them, that by thefe Words, (a) This Lamb is the "Passover," was meant nothing elfe, but this Lamb is the Memorial, or puts us in mind of the Paffover; for fo God himself hath expreffed it. So that our Saviour, in faying of the Bread which he broke, This is my Body," introduc'd no new Way of speaking, but what the Disciples, and all the Jews, were already fufficiently acquainted with in facramental Difcourfes, which makes Chrift add immediately, to fhew that he meant no more by it but a Memorial. (b) "Do this in Remembrance

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of me." Therefore it being very ufual in Scripture, to meet with Things delivered and expreffed by Parables, Tropes, and Figures; thefe Words must be understood in a figurative Manner..

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Thus we read, that the Rock was Christ, yet we must not believe the Rock to be our Saviour. Our Lord was called a (c) "Lamb, a Lyon, a Worm, a Way, a Bridegroom, a Head, a Door, a Vine, the Light, Bread, "Water, a Garment; yet, no body can be fo grofly ignorant to understand these Words, as literally to be fpoken of him.

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'Tis faid, (d) This Cup is the New Teftament: And this Cup is my Blood: Yet no Man can be fo fenfeless as therefore to believe, that the Cup which our Saviour then held in his Hand, was either the New Teftament or Chrift's Blood. Chrift faid to his Difciples, (e) " You "are the Salt of the Earth, you are the Light of the "World:" Yet the Apoftles were neither actual Light, nor material Salt.

St. Paul faith, (f) He hath made him to be Sin for us, who knew no Sin; yet Chrift never finned. So that if we were to understand thefe Things literally, we may as reasonably conclude, that all the Saints are Bread, and but one Lump; because it is faid, (g)" We being many, are one" Bread,and one Body;" and fancy the People of Ifrael of old to be only a Plantation of Vines, because they are called, (h)" The Vineyard of the Lord of Hofts."

(a) Exod. 12.11.27. (b) Luke 22. 19. (c) 1 Cor, 10, (3) Luke 22.20. Matt. 26. 28. (e) Matt. 6. Matt. 5. (f)2 Cor. 5. 21. (g) 1 Cor. 10 17.(h) Isa. 5. 7.

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Wherefore, fince the literal Interpretation does fo plainly contradict the cleareft Conviction of our Reason, and is attended with so many Impoffibilities, we cannot imagine, that the Words of our Saviour, "This is my Bo"dy," are literally true; and confequently muft underftand them, as spoken figuratively.

Befides, there are not any Tropes, or Figures in the Inftitution of the Lord's-fupper, but fuch as are, and always were ufual in Sacraments, and familiarly known to the Jewish Church. For Sacraments must be expounded Sacramentally. And this is the Opinion of the old Catholick Fathers, and particularly agrees with St. Auftin's Rule. (a)" This Rule, fays he, is to be kept "in every Allegory: That which is fpoken by Similitude, be weighed by the meaning of the prefent Place." And faith, (b) Sacraments are figns which often do "take the Names of thofe things which they do fig"nify and reprefent.

Tertullian, an Antient Father, who lived about fixteen hundred Years ago, expounding thefe Words of our Saviour, faith. (c)" Chrift taking the Bread, and "diftributing it to his Difciples, made it his Body." "faying, "This is my Body, that is, This is a Figure "of my Body, but a Figure it cou'd not be unless there were a true Body; for a void thing, as a Fancy can "receive no Figure.

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St. Austin, (d) against the Heretick Adimantus, writes thus: Our Lord doubted not to fay, "This is

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my Body, when he gave a Token of his Body." And in another place, (e)" Chrift took Judas unto his Ta"ble, whereat he gave unto his Difciples the Figure of "his Body, that is to fay, Bread.

And this interpretation is fo eafy, fo intelligible, and fo agreeable to the Phrafe of Holy Scripture, that one wou'd think it fhou'd be impoffible for Men to contra

(a) Aug. in Pfal. 8. (b) Tom. 2. Ep. 23. ad Bon. (c) Lib. 4. contra Marion. (d) Aug. contr. Adim. Cap. 12. (e) In Pfal. 3.

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dict it, except they were refolv'd to defend an Opinion, right or wrong, meerly because it is their Intereft fo to do, or because they have once maintain'd it.

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Secondly, We do truly and indeed eat the Body of Chrift, and drink his Blood; for our bleffed Saviour faith, (a) “ Í "am the Bread which is come down from Heaven." And Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and drink "his Blood, ye have no Life in you: My Flesh is Meas "indeed, and my Blood is Drink indeed: He that eateth "of this Bread fhall live forever.”

All Churches agree in this Particular, that Chrift's crucify'd Body is Meat in this heavenly Banquet, only the Difference is, how the Bread is Chrift's Body, and how Christ's Body is prefent in the Sacrament. We fay it is there fpiritually, as the Bread is a Symbol, a Figure, a Sign, a Reprefentation, and a Memorial of Chrift's Body, which was offered for the Sins of the World: And therefore, the Body of Chrift is given, taken, and eaten, after a heavenly and fpiritual Sort, with our believing Minds, remembring Chrift's Body crucified, and the Sal vation of Men procur'd by him, and affur'd by his Promifes, and not with the Mouth of the Body, after a carnal Manner. So did Chrift teach his Apoftles to underftand him; for when he had spoke thefe Words in St. John, we are told in the fame Chapter, That the Capernaites were aftonished at the hearing of them, and faid, (b) "How can this Man give us his Flefh to eat this is an hard faying, who can hear it?" Then faid Jefus, (c)" It is the Spirit that quickneth. the Flesh profiteth nothing: The Words that I fpeak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are Life." And, in the fame Chapter, he faith, (d) "He that believeth on me hath everlasting "Life." And, (e) "He that eateth of this Bread fail

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(b) Ver. 60.

(c) Ver. 63.

(a) John 6. 51, &c.
(d) Ver. 47. (e) Ver. 58.

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"not die." Here we fee, that to believe the Incarnation of the Son of God, and the Redemption procur'd by his Death, and to eat of the heavenly Bread, is all one; because they are attended with the fame happy effect, that is, everlasting Life: So that Chrift's Body being the heavenly Bread that giveth everlasting Life, his Body is only eaten by Faith, and confequently, it is not carnally, côrporally, and fubftantially in the Sacrament.

Again, The Regenerate have in them a double Life, one Carnal, the other Spiritual.

The Life carnal and temporary, they brought with them into the World: The (a) Spiritual was given them afterward in their fecond Birth, thro' the Word.

The (b) Life carnal and corporal is common to all Men, good and bad, and is maintained, anu preferved by earthly and corruptible Bread, common also, to all, and every Man: The Life fpiritual is peculiar only to the Faithful, and is chefifhed by the Bread of Lite, which came down from Heaven, (c) Which is Jefus Chrift, who nourisheth and fuftaincth the fpiritual Life of Christians, being received of them by Faith: Which fpiritual Bread, that he might the better reprefent, he hath inftituted earthly and visible Bread and Wine, for a Sacrament of his Body and Blood; whereby he doth teftify, that as verily, as we receive the Bread with the Hands, and chew the fame with Teeth and Tongue, to the Nourishing of this Life temporal, even fo by Faith (which is in the Place of Hands and Mouth to the Soul, as Minds, or Spirits can eat or receive) we verily receive the true Body, and the true Blood of Chrift, our only Saviour, to the nourishing and cherishing of the fpiritual Life in our Souls; of Holinefs and Virtue taught by the Doctrine of Chrift, and Hope, and Comfort in his precious Promises of Remiffion of Sins, Heaven, and eternal Life. To this Purpose feveral of the most learned Fathers fpake.

(a) Pet. 1. 19. 6.35.

(b) John 6. 55.

(c) John

Origen

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Origen faith, (a) "There is alfo in the New Teftament a Letter, which killeth him, that doth not fpiritually understand thofe Things which are spoken; for "if he follow this after the Letter, where it is said, except ye eat my Flesh and drink my Blood, this Letter "killeth."

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St. Chryfoftom (b) faith, "What is it that he faith, the "Flesh profiteth nothing? he fpake it not of Flesh in"deed, God forbid, but of fuch who take the Things "carnally that are spoken: And what is it to understand "carnally? even to take Things fimply as they are fpoken, "and to leek no farther Meaning; for the Things which are feen are not fo to be judged of, but all Mysteries "fhou'd be confidered with inward Eyes, that is, fpiri

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tually. Our Saviour faith, if any Man eat of this "Bread, he fhall live for ever: He calleth Bread in this "Place the Doctrine, Salvation, and Faith in him, in"carnate and crucified; whereby our Souls by the Signs "of Bread and Wine, are made Partakers of the Merits of his Body offered, and his Blood fhed, and fo the believing Mind is made ftronger, and nourished to eternal Life."

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St. Auftin, (c) upon thefe Words of our Saviour, writes thus," Understand ye fpiritually that I have fpo"ken unto you, ye fhall not eat this Body that ye fee, "neither fhall ye drink that Blood that they fhall fhed, "who fhall facrifice me. I have recommended unto you "a certain Sacrament, being fpiritually understood it "will give you Life." Again he faith, (d) "Why prepareft thou thy Teeth and thy Belly, believe and thou "haft eaten." And again, (e) "Prepare not your Jaws,

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"but your Heart."

St. Cyprian (1) faith, "The Body of Chrift is Meat "for the Mind, not for the Belly."

(a) Hom. 7. in Levit.

(b) In 6. John, Hom. 46.

(c) in Pfalm 98. (d) Tract. 2, in Johan. (e) Serm. 23. in Lucam. (f) De Cena Domini.

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