tend to the promoting of Love and Charity, but of Hatred and Enmity between God and

Man.

I have thus confider'd the Nature of an Health as it is in It felf, and put it into the beft Light I could for the Shortness of the Time, and the little I could meet with on this Subject. I fpeak for my self, that I am thoroughly perfuaded that Healths in every Notion and Acceptation of them have fomething in their own Nature that is Evil: I leave all others to be convinced in Proportion to the Weight of those Arguments, and great Authorities I have produced; and by what their own Minds fhall farther fuggeft to them on this Subject. I know not whether it is poffible to speak to any Matter of Confcience with fuch Strength and Perfpicuity as fhall leave no Room for any Thing to be faid against it; and therefore nothing can be more weak and frivolous than the Inference upon which the Generality build, namely, that whenever they can raise an Objection against any Truth that is maintain'd, that Minute all the Arguments for it must immediately fall to the Ground. Thus much I may fpeak with Affurance, that the Reafons I have offer'd for the Unlawfulness

fulness of Healths are ftronger than ever will be produced in Juftification of them; And this ought to be as convincing as the Evidence of Senfe, or Mathematical Demonftration in fuch Things as will admit of them. That Side on which there is the faireft Probability is to determine our Judgment and our Choice, and is to be the Rule of our Confcience in all Matters of Faith and Practice; and he who will never Fix his Opinion, and form a Staid and Settled Judgment in any Point of Belief or Practice against which Objections may be rais'd, that Man I fay will never fix or determine upon any Thing in Religion; no nor by the fame Rule, in Common Life. Thofe who are inclin'd to think all this is a Nicety, below their ferious Notice; and call it Straining a Matter beyond what it will bear in Reafon or Religion, let them take that pious Saying of a certain Perfon upon this very Occafion. If this Doctrine is too ftrict, all I fball fay is, That the Glory of that Diftinction, which Grace makes between us and Heathens and Infidels, is too great for us,

H

Aving in Chap. III. faid that Tho? there is no exprefs Rite or Ceremony of Confecration whereby the Drinking in Remembrance of Christ departed from us into Heaven is made Holy; that Action or Performance is however Confecrated by the Words of the Divine Institution. And that Tho' in Drinking in Remembrance of any other Perfon Abfent from us in another World there is a Change of the Perfon and CircumStances which may alter the Moral Nature of the Action; yet that it is the fame Action in a natural Senfe, or an Action of the fame Kind. And because Men's Miftakes concerning thefe Two Things have been the Ground of fome Prejudices and Objections against what I have publifhed upon that Subject, I must defire my Reader to bear with this fhoft Digreffion from the Subject of Healths in General, and to obferve with me that there are two Confecrations to be confider'd with Respect to that Action of Drinking in Remembrance of Chrift, i. e. of a Grateful and Thankful Remembrance of him, Who, as St. Peter peaks, 1 Pet. iii. 22. Is gone into Heaven, and is on the Right Hand of God,

I

1. The Firft is that which was the very Act of CHRIST Himself in his own Perfon, and could be done by none but him who alone had the Power of Making or Creating Sacraments; namely the Conftituting or Appointing that Action of Taking Wine and Drinking it in Remembrance of him : I mean his erecting it into an Holy Ordinance, and that for moft Divine and Glorious Purpofes, for the Shewing forth of his Death till he come; for the laying before GOD the infinite Merits of him Sacrificed; and for a Seal and Confirmation of all the Bleffings we partake of by his Death and Paffion In Order to the Performance of that Action by the Apostles, or their Drinking that Cup of Remembrance, our SAVIOUR first Blessed it or Gave Thanks, and then Gave it to them, that they all might Drink of it. This is that Confecration or Separation of that Action for an Holy Ufe which I say Page 30. is performed by our SAVIOUR in the Words of the Inftitution, Do this as oft as you shall Drink it in Remembrance of me.

2. The other Confecration is that of the Elements, and particularly of the Wine, for the Discharge of that Holy Action and Religious Performance; this the Apostles and their Succeffors received Power and

Com

Command from CHRIST to perform after his Example: And accordingly there muft be a Biffing or Confecration of the Wine for that Performance both in their Own Perfons, and by the Laity who have no Power of Confecrating, but do accompany the Bishop or Prieft in the Prayers, and in Drinking in a Thankful Remembrance of Chrift. There is no Doubt but this Confecration must neceffarily be performed by Prayers of the Bishop, or thofe to whom he delegates that Power, and particularly by a Repetition of the Words of the Inftitution; and that with the Circumstances of Pouring out; and Ordinarily in the House of God; and on the Lord's-Day; and with Diftribution to the Receivers for the Performance of that Holy Action.

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There can be no Conteft concerning the Neceffity of a Confecration of the Wine by Prayer and Bleffing of the Bishop after our SAVIOUR's own Example, who when he had taken the Cup Gave Thanks, and fo Confecrated the Wine for the immediate Ufe of the Apoftles. But all the Question is concerning that Action or Performance for which the Wine is fo Confecrated or Bleffed; namely of Drinking in Remembrance of Chrift, whether this be not Infti

tuted