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the Heathens have reply'd thus? And can you deny that the Hoft which you worship is the Work of Mans Hands, that moulded it, and gave it fuch a Form as pleafed him, and then confecrated it with certain Words, to make your Christ come in into it, whole and entire? Do not you adore your Hoft, which neither fees, nor hears, nor fmells, nor breathes, nor walks, nor fpeaks, nor moves? Is not your Hoft fubject to Age, Duft, falling, burning, to Worms, to Mice, and other Beafts? Is it not fubject to be taken away, ftolen, lock'd up, c? But if it be. faid, that the Accidents of the Hoft are only fubject to these Inconveniences, and not Jefus Chrift that is under them; the Heathens faid the very fame Thing; that is, that their Gods were not fubject to these Inconveniences, but the Images only in which they were, as Arnobius (a) has recorded it, and fays they speak thus; "We believe "not the Copper, Gold, and Silver, whereof the Images "are made, to be Gods, and Deities, that of themfelves “ deserve Adoration; but in these Materials we adore "thofe, that facred Dedication introduceth, and causeth "to dwell in the Images." Such is the Affinity between the Heathen Worship, and these nominal Christians of the Romish Church.

(a) Lib. 6.

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CHAP.

CHAP. VI.

Against the Abuse of the Sacrament, by denying the Cup to the Laity.

I

N all the Abuses of the Mafs, which is nothing but a huge Heap and Mafs, of idolatrous and fuperftitious Rites, there is none more grofs in the Doctrine, or impious in the Practice, or abfurd in the Defence, than this of withholding the Cup from the People; for it is an open Violence offered to our Lord's last Will; a Violation of the Words of the Inftitution; Mutilation of the bleffed Sacrament; a facrilegious Detention of an holy Legacy from the Sons of Men.

In other Points of Difference, our Adverfaries lay claim, tho' falfly, to the Authority of the primitive Church; but in this, they yield it to us, and cannot so much as pretend to it. Against others of their Errors, we have fre quent Testimonies of the former and purer Ages, for five or fix hundred Years after Chrift, but few in the later: But against this infufferable Enormity, we abound in Paffages of good Writers in all Ages.

What can be more express than our Saviour's Command? (a) "Drink ye all of this?" And again, we are told, (b) They all drank of it." And alfo," That

(a) Matt. 26. 27. (b) Mark 14. 23.

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"the Cup is to be given to all, and to be drank by all. " What a Contempt then do they fhew, which alter this Ordinance of God. Certainly our bleffed Saviour pronounced, and the holy Spirit recorded this Note of Univerfality in delivering the Cup, " Drink ye all of this," and did not fo in giving the Bread, to prevent that abuse which the Romish Church hath of late brought in, by taking it away.

We have the Teftimonies of (a) St. Matthew, (b) St. Mark, and (c) St. Luke, for this Ordinance: And St. Paul exprefly declares, that (d) The Lord Jefus the fame Night in which he was betray'd, c. After the fame "Manner alfo he took the Cup, when he had fupp'd,

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laying, This Cup is the New Teftament in my Blood, "this do, as often as ye fhall drink it, in Remembrance "of me." So that, if we may believe this Apostle, our Saviour enjoin'd us, to receive the Cup as well as the Bread, in Remembrance of him: And, fpeaking of the Action, without taking any notice of the Circumftances of it, fays, (e) "The Cup of Bleffing which webleis, "is it not the Communion of the Bood of Christ, c? (f)" For as often as you eat, c. and drink this Cup, ye do fhew the Lord's Death until he come; wherefore "whofuever fhall drink this Cup, unworthily, c. Let a Man examine himself, &c. and drink of this Cup; "for he that eateth and drinketh, c." From whence it plainly follows, that all thofe Perfons, for the Remiffion of whofe Sins our Saviour's Blood was fhed, ought to drink of the Cup; that they may be Partakers of the Benefit of his Sufferings.

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Among many of the late Popish Writers on this Subject, Ruds Tapper, Dean of Lovaine, is very particular, (g) "Confideration had unto the Sacrament, fays

(a) Matt. 26.

(d) 1 Cor. II. 23,

(b) Mark 14. (c) Luke 22. c. (e) 1 Cor. 10. 16. (f) 1 Cor.

11. 26, &c. (g) Caffander de utraq; Specie, p. 29.

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he, and to the Perfection of the fame, it were more "Convenient that the Communion were adminiftred un"der both Kinds, than under one alone: For this were agreeable to the Inftitution and Fulnefs thereof, and to the outward Perfection of the Body, yea, and to the Examples of Chrift, and also the Fathers of the pri

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"mitive Church."

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But the Romish Church Representative affembled in Council at Conftance, (a) thought it convenient to take away the Euchariftical Cup, and to establish it as an Article of Faith, in a Canon, the chief Articles whereof are thefe: " Seeing that in divers Parts of the World there are fome who rafhly prefume to fay, that Christian People ought to partake of the Sacrament of the Eu“ charist under both Species of Bread and Wine, and do "give the Communion to Lay-people, not only "under the Species of the Bread, but also under the Species of the Wine, this prefent holy general "Council of Conftance, lawfully affembled in the Name "of the Holy Ghoft, being defirous to provide for the "Safety of the Faithful, against this Error; doth there"fore declare, decree, and determine, that altho' Jefus "Chrift did adminifter this venerable Sacrament to his

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Difciples under both Species of Bread and Wine; and "altho' in the primitive Church the Faithful did receive "this Sacrament under both Species; yet, notwithstanding that, for avoiding certain Dangers and Scandals, "this Custom which was introduc'd with Reafon, ought " to be kept, (viz.) the Priests that fay Mafs, fhall com"municate under both Species of Bread and Wine; but

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Lay-perfons fhall communicate under the Species of "Bread only; and they that fay the contrary, ought to be expelled as Hereticks, and grievously punished by the Bishop, or their Officials.

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This Canon was confirm'd by the fucceeding Romish Councils, and particularly by the Conventicle of Trent, held under Pins the 4th. on the 16th. of July, 1562. in which, their Resolutions being fomewhat more than or

(a) Anno 1415.Seff. 13.

dinarily

dinarily remarkable, we fhall here give you them in their own Words, impartially tranflated.

Self. 21. Canones 1, 2, & 3.

(a) "If any one fhall maintain, that by the Command "of God, all and every the faithful Difciples of Christ, ought to receive both Species of the holy Sacrament of "the Eucharift, or that it is neceffary to Salvation so to "do, let him be accurfed.

(b)" If any one fhall fay, that the holy Catholick "Church was not induced by good Reafons, to ordain "that Lay-men, and alfo Clerks not Conficient (that is, not actually faying Mais at the fame time) fhou'd com"municate but under one Species, or that the faid Church hath err'd therein, let him be accursed.

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(c) If any one fhall deny, that whole and entire "Chrift, the Fountain and Author of all Graces, is not "received under the one Species of Bread; because as "fome fally affert it is not received according to Chrift's "Inftitution, let him be accurfed.".

Now, let any rational unbiafs'd Chriftian judge, whe ther it be not the height of impious and Antichriftian Infolence, when they own Chrift to have inftituted the Sacrament to be adminiftred in both Kinds to all the Faithful, and that actually he did distribute to all his Difciples; at the fame time, in defpite of Chrift's Ordinance and Example to pronounce all those to be accurfed Hereticks, who piously obey, and imitate him.

In every Feaft, the Cup is to be given to the Guests; that they may drink as well as eat; and fure there can be no greater Feaft, than the Lord's Supper, yet these Felons of the holy Cup, have robb'd the People of that Heaven

(a) Can. 1. (b) Can. 2. (c) Can. 3,
D 4

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