offer'd to us both in his Word and Sacraments. And this is that which JESUS CHRIST teacheth us, St. John iii. As Mofes lifted up the the Serpent in the Wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, (viz. on the Crofs;) that whosoever believeth in him, fhould not perish, but have eternal Life, For GOD Jo loved the World, that he gave bis only begotten Son, (viz. to die) that whofoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting Life. He doth not fay Whofoever facrificeth him in the Mafs, but, Whosoever believeth, &c. And St. Paul fhews it clearly in thefe Words : GOD hath fet forth JESUS CHRIST to be a Propitiation, through Faith in his Blood, ( Rom. iii. 25.) He doth not fay through the Sacrifice of the Mafs, but, through Faith, And we really and truly apply theSacrifice of Chrift's

1...

Crois, when “hen we have Recourfo ~*`~ L、UDUMU to Irim; as a Man applies a Plaifter, when he hath Recourse to, and lays it on the Wound. But the Recourfe or Refuge of a penitent Sinner to the Sacrifice of the Crofs, for obtaining Mercy from GOD; is nothing else but Faith. As for the Distinction of the Sacramental and Natural Being of JESUS CHRIST, it hath been already refuted in the 6th Number.

21. I fhall conclude this Difcourfe with the Testimony of Thomas Aquinas, the most famous of all the Romish Doctors, and called by our Adverfaries the Angelick Doctor. This Thomas, in Part 3. Queft. 83. Artic. 1. having propos'd this Queftion, viz. [Whether

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Christ

Chrift be facrificed in the Sacrament of the Eucharift?] be concludes with thefe memorable Words: The Celebration of this Sacrament is very fitly called a facrificing of Chrift; as well because it is the Reprefentation of Christ's Paffion, as because by this Sacrament we are made Partakers of the Fruit of the Lord's Paffion. And afterward he gives his Answer in thefe Words: I answer; we must Say that the Celebration of this Sacrament is called the facrificing of Christ, in two refpects. First, Because (as Augustine to Simplicius Saith) we are wont to give to Images the Name of the Things whereof they are Images: As when we fee Pictures on a Wall, or in a Frame, we fay, This is Cicero, that is Saluft, &c. But the Celebration of this Sacrament, (as hath been faid above) is a Reprefentative Image of Christ's Paffion, which Paffion is a true facrificing of Chrift. Secondly, the Celebration of this Sacrament is called the facrificing of Christ, in regard of the Effect of Christ's Paffion;because,by this Sacrament, we are made Partakers of the Fruit of the Lord's Paffion. Let the Romanifts keep to this Decifion of their Angelick Doctor, and we fhall agree with them in this Point. For I am confident that there is not one of the reformed Religion, but will subscribe to this true Doctrine of Thomas Aquinas.

CHAP.

CHA P. VIII.

Containing Anfwers to the Objections of the Romish Doctors.

YOUN the Two First Chapters we have anfwered the Two principal Ob

I

jections of the Romish Doctors, drawn from thefe Words: This is my Body, &c. And from thefe He that eateth my Flesh, and drinketh my Blood bath eternal Life, &c. Now we muit answer the rest.

OBJECTION. I.

2. THE first Objection is this: When the eftablishing of Articles of Faith, the Inftitution of Sacraments, and the making of Teftaments and Covenants are in Agitation; Men speak plainly and properly. But in the Celebration of the Eucharift, JESUS CHRIST established an Article of Faith, inftituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and spoke of a Teftament and a Covenant: For it is faid of the Cup, That it is the New Testament, and the New Covenant in the Blood of Chrift. Yea, he spake then to his Difciples, to whom he fpake in plain and proper Terms; and not in obfcure Terms, or in Figures or Parables, as he did to the People.

ANSWER.

3. To this Objection I Anfwer, First, That it is falfe, that Articles of Faith are always

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expreffed

expreffed in proper Terms, in Holy Scripture; as when it is faid in the Creed, That ESUS CHRIST fitteth on the Right Hand of GOD, it is evident that this is a Figure and a Metaphor; for GOD being a Spirit, hath neither Right Hand nor Left: And all Interpreters expound this fitting on GOD's Right Hand metaphorically; viz. For that Lordfhip both of Heaven and Earth, which he hath receiv'd from GOD his Father; as earthly Princes make their Lieutenants, whom they appoint to govern in their Name, to fit on the Right Side of them. Again, when it is faid, St. Matthew xvi. Upon this Rock I will build my Church, and the Gates of Hell fhall not prevail against it: And I will give thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on Earth, fhall be bound in Heaven, &c. It is manifeft that thefe are Figures and Metaphors, as Bellarmine confeffeth, in Book 1. Of the Bishop of Rome, Chap. 10. And yet it is chiefly by this Paffage that they endeavour to prove the Pope's Authority.

4. Secondly, I Anfwer, That the Holy Scripture commonly speaks of Sacraments in figurative Terms. Thus Circumcifion is GOD's Covenant, Gen. xvii. in thefe Words, This is my Covenant: Every Male fhall be circumcifed. That is, This is the Sign of the Covenant, as appears by the following Verfe. Te fall circumcife the Flesh of your Foreskin, and is fhall be a Token of the Covenant between me and you. So the Pafchal Lamb is

called

called the Lord's Paffover, Exod. xii. Because the Blood of this Lamb fprinkled on the DoorPofts, was given as a Sign of the Angel's favourable paffing over the Houfes of the Ifraelites; as appears by Verfe 13. of the fame ChapSo Baptifm is called the washing of Regeneration,(Titus iii. 5.) because it is the Sacrament of it. In a Word, the Euchariftical Cup is called the New Teftament; because it is the Sign, Seal, and Sacrament of it.

ter.

5. Thirdly, I Anfwer, That in Holy Scripture, Teftaments are not always expreffed in proper Terms, without a Figure. For the Teftament of Jacob, Gen. xlix. and that of Mofes, Deut. xxxiii. are nothing else but a Chain of Metaphors and other Figures. And Civilians will have it, that in Teftaments we fhould not regard the proper Signification of the Words, but the Intention ofthe Teftator. To this, I add, That JESUS CHRIST did not then make the New Teftament and the New Covenant, but only inftituted the Seal and Sacrament of them. For the Covenant was made with all Mankind, in the Perfon of Adam after the Fall, when GOD promised him that the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpent's Head. This was afterward renewed with Abraham, when GOD promised him that in his Seed all the Nations of the Earth fhould be bleed; viz. in Chrift the bleffed Seed, who hath deftroyed the Kingdom of Satan. After this it was confirmed by the Blood of Chrift fhed on the Crofs. Then it was pubLifh'd through all the World, when the Apoftles

had