that by an exprefs Command and folemn Inftitution, Do this in remembrance of me.

3dly, That the very Effence of the Euchariftical Sacrifice, confifts in that Action of Eating and Drinking to the Memory of a Perfon once dead. 'Tis not the Drinking, nor drinking Wine and Water, or both mixt, or fitting, or ftanding, or kneeling; no, nor the doing it religiously, or by way of Praife or Thankf giving even to God; all thefe are but appendant Circumftances. 'Tis in the Drinking to the Memory of Chrift's Death, in which the very Life and Being of that Sacrament confifts 'Tis the fhewing forth the Lord's death till he come, that conftitutes it a Sacrament. "Tis the very Ground and Reafon of the Inftitution, that which makes it myfterious and obligatory on all Chriftians, till his Coming to Judgment.

If it's faid here, That the very Form or effential Part of that Sacrament, is in Drinking to the Remembrance of Chrift's Death only, i. e. to his very Act of Dying for us; but that in Drinking to the Glorious Memory of a dead Monarch, we mean not to celebrate his Death, but the Glorious Actions of his Life and therefore that this can be no prophaning of that Sacrament in that very Inftance which is moft effential to it. I answer, That if we could abftract the Perfon of Chrift from his Death; could celebrate his Death without remembring him dead, and what he did for us when alive; or if we could drink to the Me mory of a dead Man, without implying and neceffarily including his Death, there wou'd

be

be a faint Colour of an Objection. But how can we fhew the Lord's Death, without fhewing the Lord that died, that was alive, and then did great Things for us? And perhaps 'tis to obviate this very Objection, that the Words of the Institution are not, Do this, as oft as ye Drink it, in Remembrance of my DEATH; but in Remembrance of ME.

Ay! but fays one, the Cafe is ftill different; for Chrift is now alive, but the Monarch to whofe Memory we drink, continues dead. Yes, and for that very Reafon we are to celebrate him once dead, who only has Immortality ; and that too in a way never to be apply'd to any meerly Mortal Creature. But away with thefe Subtilties in the moft Important Action of our Lives here; and upon which the Salvation of our Souls hereafter fo much depends. We remember Chrift, and him dead, by Drinking in Remembrance of him: Whofoever hopes to be fav'd by fo doing, let him take care how he does the fame to any other Perfon whatfoFor tho' it be not done in the fame Manner, or with the fame Design, nor with the fame Circumftances; yet that ftill remains, in which the very Being and Effence of our holy Eucharift confifts.

And now can it be a Doubt, whether an Action fo holy, dedicated to the Memory of our Bleffed Saviour; confecrated to fuch Divine Purposes; and made the very Teft of our Chriftian Profeffion, may be apply'd to common Ufe, and made an Expreffion of civil Refpect and Complement to the Perfon or

Cha

Character of whomfoever we please to apply it to: Every fincere Confcience, truly touch'd wich a Senfe of Religion, will foon determine this Point without any great reach of Underftanding or stock of Learning. The plaineft and moft obvious Reafon is the ftrongest; and tho' it may be darkned and perplex'd by a mul titude of Words, or argued away; yet the Truth will not be totally extinguifh'd, but will recur again. Tho' it be thus repell'd for a time, it will recoil with uneafinefs upon the Mind, at every ferious fit of Thinking; and never fuffer

a lafting on there, till the very Confci

ence is defil'd, and hath no fincere Regard for Religion left. If I fhould ask any plain, but fincere Chriftian, this fhort Question, Whether what Chrift has commanded to be done facramentally and religioufly in Remembrance of him, may, without Sin, be done to any other Perfon whatfoever, in Remembrance of them? He wou'd anfwer, No furely; not with out Wonder and Indignation at the Question for that would be to honour a Man as I do Chrift. And this is what all the Logick in the 'World will never anfwer.

However, to fit the Argument for the Genius of the Difputers of this World, I will reduce the whole Contest to a Point, in one or two Syllogifms.

If Chrift has appropriated that Action of Drinking to the Memory of the Dead, to his own Perfon; it is highly finful to apply it to any other.

B

But

But Chrift has appropriated Drinking to the Memory of the Dead,, to his own Perfon, Ergo.

I fuppofe the Confequence of the Major will never be deny'd by any one who understands the Terms of it. And for the Minor, 'tis prov'd thus.

ai If Chrift has inftituted that Action in Honour of himself, he has appropriated it to his own Perfon.

But Chrift has inftituted it in Honour of

himfelf. Ergo, A I

The Minor is deny'd by no Sect of People who call themfelves Chriftians, but the Quakers. And if any Man denies the Confequence of the Major, let him fhew what other way there was of appropriating an Action to the Perfon of Chrift, befides an exprefs Inftitution,

and Confecration of it into a Sac

Now if it be faid that they want an exprefs Command, that it fhall be done to him only, and not to any one else. I anfwer, There was no occafion for an exprefs Command for that which the common Reason of Mankind muft naturally fuggeft. However, 'tis faid in Scripture, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only halt thou ferve, And if that Action of Drinking to the Memory of the Dead, be now made the moft Solemn Act of Worship and Adoration, as it really is; then they are not without an exprefs Command; and the apply

ing

ing of that Action to any other Perfon, is a manifeft Tranfgreffion of this Precept.

4. And this brings me to the Fourth Thing contained in thofe Texts, namely, That this Drinking in Remembrance of the Dead is appropriated to Chrift, not only by virtue of a Solemn Inftitution and Command, which of their own Nature reftrain it to him, and make it highly finful to apply it to any other Perfon; but there is Provifion made for this in the very Form of that Inftitution; and this Limitation is made in exprefs Words, very plain to that effed in the Original, τότο ποιεῖτε, ὁστέκις ἂν πίς νητε, εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν. The literal and caly Tranflation of which is this: As often as ye fhall drink thus, do it in Remembrance of me. The Import is the fame in the Translation of our English Bible; This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in Remembrance of me: Only with this difference, that the Drift and Delign of that όσάκις ἂν πίνητε, is not fer in fo plain a light.

The Ufe which is generally made of that Claufe, is from thence to urge the frequency of Receiving the Sacrament; which is of it felf a thing fufficiently plain from the Nature of it, and the infinite Advantages we receive by it. And tho' this is a good Inference, yet it is not fo direct as that for which the Claufe was chiefly and originally intended; namely, to reftrain this Action of Drinking to the Memory of a dead Perfon, to that of our Saviour; and to prevent its ever being done to any one elfe. And to confirm this, the Word opus is repeated in the next Verfe, and the Reason of

B 2

this