I fhall endeavour to maintain the dignity of this Sacrament thus vilified, and to fhew that present benefits are annexed to it, not merely as to an act of obedience, but as to a mystery, by the appointment of Christ, efficacious, in the highest degree, on the foul of man.

SECTION. III.

Passages specified from late Writers, which degrade the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, with Remarks.

To justify my present attempt, I think it right to produce, in the commencement of it, a few paffages from fome very eminent divines, who have contributed to caufe a neglect of the Sacrament by the low and degrading opinion of it which they have published and fanctioned under the authority of high rank and character.

Bishop Pearce, a grave and learned prelate, in a letter to Doctor Waterland, has thefe words: "You fay the Eucharift "has graces and bleffings annexed to it; "whereas, all that I fay is, that it may "have them conveyed to the worthy

receiver, but not annexed to their "worthily receiving." Again: « The "Eucharift has graces and bleffings in

"common,

се common, I think, with other acts of "obedience under the Gofpel, which fhews * that I did not think thefe graces annexed "to the Eucharift, unless you will suppose "that they are annexed to all acts of obe"dience, which you will not fuppofe, I "believe. The affiftance of God's Spi"rit is promised, in general, to all "Chriftians; and, therefore, I think, "that in all acts of religious worship, a "devout Chriftian may expect it; but I "cannot fee, from any thing that you "have advanced, that he has a right or "reafon to expect, That in the Eucha"rift pardon and grace are annexed to "worthy receiving."

Dr. Sykes fays: "Our Saviour and his Apoftles mention no other ends of the "Sacrament than these two: to comme"morate the death of Chrift, and to be a fign of friendship among Christians; confequently, no other ends can be "made of the Lord's Supper, without changing its inftitution, and making it "not the Lord's Supper, but our own fupper." This he fays in a little

cheap

:

cheap tract, intended for the multitude, and defigned to prevent them from expecting prefent benefits from the Lord's Supper.Len

Another writer, highly diftinguished for abilities, highly preferred in the church, and remarkable for his refusal of the higheft preferments of all, affirms, with decifive voice, that the benefit is future and "profpective. Obferve," fays he," thefe

benefits are not prefent, but future. "The benefit immediately obtained by "the Sacrament, is only the profpect of "falvation, (the only grace fignified,) for"cibly impreffed on our minds by this "rite *."

Dr. Bell, whofe little Tract I have had occafion to mention before, gives the following account of the BENEFITS annexed to the Eucharift†:

"All the benefits we are warranted in "expecting from this rite, are, first, that "approbation of God, which intentional

Dr. Balguy, Charge 7.

+ Practical Enquiry, pages 17 and 21.

com

"compliance with his will muft certainly procure; and, fecondly, whatever addi"tional strength our principles may natu"rally acquire by the celebration of any "religious rite itself.

«There neither are, nor can be, any "other benefits attending the performance "than thefe: We have not," he proceeds, any promise, or even the flightest in"timation, either from our Lord him

"

felf, or any of his Apoftles, that the

gracious influences of the Spirit are pe"culiarly conferred upon us on account "of the celebration of the Lord's "Supper *."

Again he fays: "If ever the bread and "wine are received, whether by the well, "the fick, or the dying, as an appointed " means of obtaining the remiffion of fins; " or in any other light than merely as an "act of due obedience to a pofitive com"mand of our Lord, naturally expreffive "of faith in him, and when feriously "performed, as naturally conducive to all "fuch difpofitions as that faith requires, * Page 28.

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