"and confequently Chriftians cannot partake "of any Sacrifice in a literal and ftrict Sense, "without allowing Tranfubftantiation. p. 262." The Lord's Supper is "a commemorative Sacrifice, or the Memorial of our Lord offered

upon the Crofs; which is firft dedicated to "God by Prayer and Thanksgiving, and af"terwards eaten by the Faithful, &c. p. 267." When it is faid, that Chriftians cannot partake

of any Sacrifice in a literal Senfe, and that there is but one proper Sacrifice for Chriftians to partake of; the Meaning, I prefume, of those few, chofen Words, is this: We may indeed partake of Chrift's Sacrifice, a proper Sacrifice, but not in a literal Senfe; for the Participation is fpiritual: We may literally partake of the Elements; but then they are not a proper Sacrifice, but fymbolical, and commemorativem, being that they are Memorial-Signs of the Sacrifice, not the Sacrifice itfelf. Therefore, upon the whole, we have no Sacrifice to partake of in a literal Senfe; for either the Sacrifice we partake of, is not literal and proper, or else the Participation, at least, is not literal and proper: So

m

ftands

"The Elements are made the Symbols of his Body and "Blood; the partaking whereof is all one to the Receivers, and "does as much affure them of the Favour of God, as if they "should eat and drink the real Body and Blood of Chrift offer"ed upon the Crofs, p. 263. To eat of the Lord's Supper, "is to partake of the Sacrifice of Chrift, which is there com "memorated and reprefented. Abp. Potter on Church-Gov. p. 264.

ftands the Cafe. And what is this but very plainly declaring, that the Elements are not a proper Sacrifice? Well, but is it not as plainly declaring, that spiritual Sacrifices are no proper Sacrifices, fince we have but one proper Sacrifice? No, it is not declaring any fuch Thing: For, obferve the Words, Chriftians cannot partake of any Sacrifice; it is not faid, cannot offer, but the Thought entirely runs upon a Sacrifice of Participation". So there is room left to say, that we offer proper Sacrifices, namely Spiritual Sacrifices. But will there not alfo be room left for faying, that we offer the Elements as a proper Sacrifice? No: For, if they are not a proper Sacrifice when participated, they could not be fuch when offered: If the feeding barely upon them, amounts not to a Feast upon a proper Sacrifice, they never were a proper Sacrifice at all. The Words are so exactly chofen,

n

Accordingly, thefe Words are added: "Hence it is manifeft, that to eat of the Lord's Supper, is to partake of "the Sacrifice of Chrift, which is there commemorated and re"prefented." Ibid.

Sacrifice is here taken in the paffive View, as participated, according to Dr. Cudworth's Notion of a symbolical Feast upon a Sacrifice. See my Review, p. 444, &c.

• Offered here means offered for Confecration: "To confecrate the Lord's Supper is fo conftantly called socégev in "Greek, and offerre in Latin, that it is needlefs to cite any "Teftimonies for them." Ibid.

N. B. The offering for Confecration, means no more than prefenting them to God, in order to have them confecrated into Memorial-Signs, or Symbols of Chrift's Sacrifice, that is, into a Commemorative, not real, Sacrifice.

as plainly to exclude the Elements from being a proper Sacrifice, and at the fame Time not to exclude our religious Services from really being fo. This, I prefume to fay, (without his Grace's Leave, or Knowledge) appears to be his Senfe, and his whole Senfe; no way favouring the material Hypothefis, but the contrary; however fome may have mifconftrued his Words, for want of confidering them with due Attention.

As to the Name memorial, it may be noted, that it is capable of a twofold Meaning according as it may be applied. Apply it to the Elements, and so it means a Memorial-Sign, no Sacrifice at all: Apply it to the Prayers, Praifes and Eucharistical Actions ", and then it means a memorial-Service, and is a Sacrifice, a fpiritual Sacrifice. But it is Time to take Leave.

I have now run thro' the most confiderable Diftinctions of Sacrifice, which have fallen within the Compass of my Obfervation; and I am willing to hope, that the Explications here given may be of Ufe, as fpreading fome

further

P Recordatio ergo, feu commemoratio, ponitur in re-. bus fenfibilibus. Omnia enim memorialia, feu monumenta, funt fenfibilia & patentia fenfui: Ac propterea Benedictio illa fenfibilis, Fradio, Diftributio, Comeftio panis facramentalis, nobis eft memoriale paffionis Chrifti, &c. Spalatenf. p. 83.

further Light upon the Subject. Had the Difference lain in Words only, (Ideas remaining the fame) it would not have deserved one Moment's Care, or Thought: But as this Question had been lately managed, it is too plain, that the true Idea both of the Sacrament, and Sacrifice, had been changed into quite another Thing; and that fuch a Change could not be fupported, without making other

very

confiderable Changes in the whole System of Theology, and in Points of high Confequence both to Truth and Godliness. Wherefore it appeared as neceffary to endeavour, with all Chriftian Mildness, to fet these Matters right, as it was to contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered unto the Saints.

Faxit

Pfaffius, in the View he took it, and with refpect to one learned Writer, look'd upon the Difpute as a kind of Logomachy, P. 53, 344. and Præf. p. 7. which I noted in Review, (P. 471.) adding, that there was a good deal of Truth in what Pfaffius had said, and that a great Part of the Debate was chiefly about Names. I have fince noted, that the original Scheme of a principal Writer in that Caufe, appear'd to me to be little more. Chriftian Sacrif. expl. p. 44. But I was well aware, that some Writers had carried Matters a great deal farther. Where a Road first divides, two Travellers may almoft shake Hands: But if one goes on here, and another there, as far as the diverging Roads will lead them, they may at length be found at a very wide Distance from each other: So it is here. An equivocal Word, perhaps, or Phrase, in which both Parties agree, first strikes out two very different Ideas; and thofe two Ideas, having their different Trains, or Connexions, do at length carry the two Par ties off, wide and far from each other, into very oppofite Syftems.

Faxit Deus omnipotens, ut uni Christi Sacrificio verè innitamur, ac illi rurfurh rependamus Sacrificia noftra, Gratiarum Actionis, Laudis, Confeffionis Nominis fui, veræ Refitif centia, Pænitentiæ, Beneficentiæ erga proximos, aliorumque omnium Pietatis Officiorum: Talibus enim Sacrificiis, exhibebimus nos nec Dee ingratos, nec Chrifti Sacrificio indignos".

* Cranmer in Collier Eccl. Hift. Vol. ii. Collection of Records, p. 84.

FINI S.