WE have in the words of the Text a most perfect Draught and Description of the Church of Christ, under the New-Testament, having all the true Notes and Marks of the true Church, as it began to be set up by Christ himself, the great Founder of it, through the powerful and effectual Ministry of his holy Apostles and Ministers, as distinguished from the Iewish Church, set up under the Mosaical Dispensation, and freed from the multi­tude of Ceremonial Observances, to which the Iewish Church was bound, yet agreeing with the same in substance, [Page 2] both in Faith and Morals, and in many things also both in manner of Worship and Discipline.

As likewise, we have in the first Verse of the Text, an account of the great Success and good Effect and Fruit that St. Peter's Preaching had upon those who heard him, being his first Sermon after the Miraculous effusion of the holy Ghost, that about three Thousand Souls were converted, and added unto the Church, who having gladly received the Word, were straight way Baptized, by which great Conversion of so many Souls through St. Peter's Ministry, we have a solemn Instance of the begun Accomplishment of our Saviours Promise to him, Follow me, and I will make thee a Fisher of Men.

This most perfect Draught of the Church of Christ, which was the first Christian and Apostolical Church, and which ought to be the Pattern, according to which the Church in all succeeding Ages ought to be conformable (excepting what was extraordinary and temporary, or for some time, as the miraculous Gifts of the holy Spirit, and the Community of Goods in the first Church set up at Ierusalem, (being only for the present necessity and exigency) is set forth to us in the Text, in these five Particulars following.

I. They (to wit, the three Thousand who heard St. Peter preach to them▪) that gladly received his Word, were Baptized.

II. They stedfastly continued in the Apostles Doctrine, as well in that of all the Apostles, as of St. Peter.

III. They continued in Fellowship both with the Apostles and with one another, without Schism or Seperation, being knit together by one Spirit, and serving God with one Heart and [Page 3] one Way, according to Gods Promise that so it should be, Jer. 32.39.

IV. They continued in breaking of Bread, i. e. in the con­stant and frequent Vse of the Lords Supper, as it is generally understood by Expositors on the Text.

V. They continued together in Prayers, with one Mind and with one Mouth glorifying God, as St. Paul exhorted the be­lieving Romans, Rom. 15.6.

Thus, in short, we have a full Draught and Description of the most antient and primitive Church under the New Testament, which had the Word of God purely preached, and which was received by Faith and Love in the Hearers; in the Faith and Profession of which they stedfastly con­tinued. And also, we have in the Text, the two holy Sacraments, the one of Baptism, the other of the Lords Supper, but we find no more here, or else-where in the New-Testament, as either seven (as the Papists hold) or any other but those two; and, lastly (which are as necessary as the other) Fellowship and Prayers together, joyntly and with one accord.

All which are so necessary to a true Church of Christ, that whatever Society, (tho' they call themselves a Church) wants any of the above named, can scarcely be called a Church, or if wanting, (though in some small part or parts,) of any of them, must needs be in so far lame and imperfect; and by how much any Society is nearest to the primitive Pattern, in the above-named particulars, she is the more perfect, and if she come up in full to them all, she is compleatly such

I shall not need here to show, how deficient the Church of Rome, (as it now is, and hath long been) is in all these [Page 4] particulars, which has not only added many Innovasions in Doctrine, repugnant to Apostolical Doctrine, but has de­tracted, as well as added, and grosly corrupted her self in all the above-named particulars.

Nor shall I make it any part of my present Work, to show the great Disconformity and Dissimilitude of other Pre­tenders (who are not in Communion with the Church) to be nearest to the primitive Pattern, which yet can very easily be done.

But, as briefly as I may, I will show the great Confor­mity that the Church to which we belong, i. e. The Church of England, as by Law established, hath to the primitive Pattern here delivered in the Text, in the above-named par­ticulars. As,

I. In her stedfast continuance in the Apostles Doctrine, ever since the Reformation from Popery, her Faith is the same, (without any Addition or Innovation) both with the Church in the Days of the Apostles, and with the Church as it has been in Succession from the days of the Apostles, during the purest Ages of the Church, for several hundreds of years, summarily contained in the Apostles Creed, which if not composed by the Apostles themselves, yet is exactly conform to the Faith delivered by them, in the Books of the New Testament, whereof the Nicine and Athanasian Creeds are only further Explanations, without the addition of any new Article. Also the Doctrine of Repentance and Remission of sin, and free Iustification by the alone Merits of Christ, apprehended and applyed by a true and lively Faith, that is operative and productive of good Works, is sincerely taught and stedfastly believed and professed by all her true Members and Children.

[Page 5]II. She doth also well and truly believe and profess the absolute Necessity of the Grace of God, and of the gracious inward Aids and Assistances, Inspirations, Illuminations and Operations of the holy Spirit, to all our Services and Per­formances in the Worship of God, by Prayer and Thanks­giving, to render them acceptable to God, and profitable to our Salvation, and to all our Thoughts, Words and Works of that tendency, and to the begetting and increasing in us a true and lively Faith, Hope, Love, Repentance, Fear, Humility, and all other Christian moral Virtues, which she doth acknowledge to be the Fruits of the holy Spirit, wrought and nourished by the same in us, in our due use of the means of Grace, as particularly mentioned in the Text, such as the Preaching and Hearing Gods holy Word, both by reading and preaching it, and the holy Sacraments of Baptism and the Supper, and publick (as well as private) Prayers, and Fellowship with one accord, in the due use of all and every one of the said Means.

III. She holds Fellowship and Communion with all the Orthodox and Protestant Churches abroad, tho' differing from her in some particulars that are not Fundamental, nor of that sort as give just occasion of Seperation, and owneth them to be parts of the Catholick Church, whereof she own­eth her self to be also a part.

IV. In all our Services towards God, she holds, That both Ministers and People ought continually to pray to God and depend and wait upon him for the constant renewed gracious Aids and Assistances of Gods holy Spirit, given, and daily to be given in and through Jesus Christ, the Head of his Church (who is the Head thereof in respect of all divine [Page 6] gracious Influence, as both God and Man, yet one Lord Jesus Christ, as well as in respect of Government of the same) to enable▪ and strengthen us in every Performance: and that how well so ever, and by whatever assistance of Gods Grace and Spirit we are enabled to perform our respe­ctive Duties and Services to God, we are still to beg Gods gracious Acceptance of them, through our alone Mediator and Advocate Jesus Christ, together with the confession and asking the forgiveness of our sins, and doing all that we do to the glory of God, in the Name of Jesus Christ.

V. She doth also stedfastly continue in the Apostles Do­ctrine, in relation to the Government of the Church, ac­knowledging our Lord Jesus Christ to be the only Head of the Catholick and Universal Church, & owning a Distinction of Pastors and Officers under him, such as the holy Apostles in their writings of the New-Testament, have delivered to us, and has been continued in the Church in the succeeding Ages, as of Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons, with their di­stinct Offices and Ministrations. The which distinction of Officers, both superiour and inferior, are as necessary for the good government of the Church, as the distinction of supe­riour and inferior civil Officers is necessary in the civil State, or of Military Officers in an Army, for the good government of both, and to both which the Church is compared in Scrip­ture. The Church is a Kingdom, whose King is our blessed Saviour; and shall he have none in his Kingdom to rule and govern under him, of subordinate Rulers, superior and in­ferior (whereas the Iewish Church under the Old Testament had a distinction of a three fold sort of Officers, by Gods appointment, to which the distinction of the three sorts of Officers in the Christian Church doth answer, as in all other things (excepting the Ceremonial part of the Types and [Page 7] Figures, and other judicial Laws, peculiar to the Iewish Nation) the Christian Church did exactly agree to the Iewish. The Church is also compared to an Army, and an Army must needs have superior and inferior Officers, for the good government thereof.

VI. And in her publick Prayers, she agrees, as with the faithful in the antient Iewish Church, (who did all worship God in Spirit and in Truth, (as all true Christians do) yet did also worship him in set and appointed Forms, where both Ministers and People prayed vocally together, and praised God with joynt Voices, as well as joynt Hearts) so with the Christian Church in the days of the Apostles, where the People joyned in vocal Prayer, with joynt Voice as well as joynt Hearts, in prayer to God, as is evident from Acts 4.24. which was the antient way of publick Prayer in the Iewish Church, as well as of Praising God with the words of the Psalms of David and of Asaph, 2 Chron. 29.28, 29, 30. many of which were Prayers as well as Praises; and for which compare the following Texts of Scripture, 1 Chron. 16.34, 35, 36. 2 Chron. 7.3. Psal. 107.1. Psal. 118.1. Psal. 136. and throughout Ier. 31.7. Ier. 33.11. Ioel 2.17. All which show that there were set Forms of Worship taken out of the Book of the Psalms, that both the Ministers and the People used in their Devotion; and tho' but the first Verse of some of the Psalms is mentioned in 2 Chron. 7. and Chron. 16.34. and Ier. 11. yet it is not to be thought that they used that Verse only, but rather that they used the entire Psalms, which had that beginning, as well as many others, and at times all of them, as they had occasion, as the Church of England useth them all Monthly, in her publick Devotions; and that the People in the Iewish Church both read in the Law, and confessed their sins vocally, as well as [Page 8] the Ministers, is evident from Nehem. 9. and Isa. 29. [...]3. and this continued all along to be a Practice in the Iewish Church, even in our Saviour's time, Mat. 15.8. Mark 7.6. in which places their praying vocally is not reproved for the matter of it, but for their hypocritical manner of performing it. Also, a set form of blessing the People was given and enjoyned by God to the Priests; and Moses himself used a Form of Prayer at the removing and resting of the Ark, Numb. 6▪ 23, 24, 25, 26. and Numb. 10.35, 36. And surely Moses and the holy Ancients had the Spirit of Prayer, as well or more than any can now pretend to▪ And at the offering up of their first Fruits and Tythe, at the end of every third year, the People were enjoyned Forms of Prayer, by God himself (Deut. 26.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, &c.) that the most spiritual among them were to use, at the time appointed. Also, our blessed Saviour taught his Disciples a Form of Prayer, which he commanded them to say, when they prayed, the Matter of which is so excellent and comprehensive, that it suits with Christians of the highest, as well as the lowest state, for Devotion: And that the Church useth it in all her Offices of publick Prayer, once, and once after the General Con­fession, is from Christs own Command, When ye pray, say, Our Father, &c. for as in all variety of Dishes of Meat, Bread and Salt is used to every Dish, to make it the more healthful, so the Church of God in all Ages, together with her other Prayers, has used this Prayer, taught us by our Saviour, as being the most perfect and comprehensive, in few words. It is granted, that beside the ordinary Forms of Prayer used in the Church, in the Apostles days, and for some time after, some in the Church had an extraordinary Gift of Prayer, by the Spirit immediately dictating to them the words and matter thereof, which we know none can justly now pretend unto; and who did at first pretend to it, were Popish Emisaries, [Page 9] under the disguise of Puritans and Reformers, as is upon suf­ficient Record in English History. But let none mistake, as if our Church did not own the Aids of the holy Spirit in com­posing good Prayers, in suitable words, as well as in exciting spiritual and heavenly Affections, but this is not after that extraordinary way that those Impostors did pretend to, and to which many, as yet still pretend, but by the holy Spirits ordinary assistance, enabling them, by deliberate Pre­meditation and deliberate Consideration, to collect and gather out of the rich Treasure of the holy Scriptures, what is most suitable to them. And as private Persons are thus helped, at times, in private to conceive and compose Prayers for their private use and their Families, so the publick Prayers that are used in the Church, were composed by Persons of greater spiritual Attainments and Abilities in the Church, than are common to private Persons, such as of those antient and godly Bishops & Pastors in former Ages, some of whose Compositions are used in the Church Liturgy at this day, but are not borrowed from the Papists nor the Mass-Book, though some of them are there, as well as the Lords Prayer and the Ten Commands, which are not therefore to be re­jected; for they were extant and used in the Church long before Popery or the Popish Mass-Book was; and their Spi­ritual Savour as well as excellent Matter be speak them to all spiritually minded, to have been made by the help of the holy Spirit, as well as other parts of the Church Liturgy of later date, by Persons of latter times. And on every new emergent occasion, spiritual Gifts are not wanting in the Fathers & Bishops of the Church (praised be God) to frame and compose suitable Prayers for the present case and oppor­tunity, by the help of Gods holy Word contained in the holy Scriptures, which teacheth us as well what to Pray, accor­ding to the Will of God, as what to Believe and Practise; for [Page 01] the gift of Faith and all holy Obedience is the fruit of the Spirit as well as the gift of Prayer; and therefore why should Prayer be thought to be more immediately given us by the Spirit, than either Faith or Obedience? And seeing God speaketh to us by his holy Spirit in forms of words, containing Com­mands, Promises, Threatnings and Doctrines of Faith deli­vered us in Scriptures, why may we not speak to him in Forms of Prayer, such as are given us in his holy Word for our Instruction and Direction, as well what to pray as what to believe and practise? And why it should be thought more inconsistent with the Spirit to pray in set Forms, than to sing together in set Forms of Psalms of David, (as most Dissenters do, who cry out against Forms of Prayer, and yet use Forms in singing) no impartial man can think, and why they may not pray as well as sing with the Book.

And whereas some object, That though Forms of divine composure may be used, such as that of the Lords Prayer (which yet I have known some affirm to be unlawful) That Forms of mens composing by Study and previous Meditation, are not to be used, as having too much of humane mixture.

I Answer; Why their extempore Prayers should be wholly divine, and have less of Man in them, than well premeditated Prayers, is very improbable: But it is most probable, for the most part, they have much more of Man, and of mans cor­rupt Nature, wherein they too oft vent and give scope to their sinful Passions, and Uncharitableness, Pride and vain Glory, which the use of appointed Forms doth limit and restrain, without limiting the true Spirit of Prayer; and be­side, the Prayer that is extempore to the Speaker, is as much a Form to the Hearers, as any other, and less edifying, be­cause as soon forgot as heard, for most part.

Sure therefore the Church of England, to which we belong, is so conform to this primitive Pattern described in the Text, [Page 11] as is above shewed, it concerns weightily two sorts of Persons well and duly to consider how they stand affected towards her.

First, That it concerns all them who are not in any pro­fessed Communion with her, and yet want not good oppor­tunity so to be, well to consider and examine, whether they be not exceeding guilty of that hainous sin of Schism, by with-drawing from a Church that has all the Notes and Marks of a true Church of Christ, that the first Primitive and Apostolical Church had, founded by our Lord and his holy Apostles; and which requireth nothing of them, in order to joyn in Communion with her, that is sinful, or any wise contrary to the Word of God. Do they continue in fellow­ship with the Church of Christ, which is one of the great things mentioned in the Text, who with-draw from her Communion both in Sacraments and Prayer, as well as hear­ing the Word? As Fellowship with the Church is mention­ed in the Text, so is it oft and very pressingly enjoyned in many other Texts of holy Scripture of the New-Testament, as Ephes. 4.3. Rom. 15.5, 6. Rom. 16.17. Heb. 10.25. and what-ever higher Degrees of Spirituality, and of having greater Measures of the Spirit, they pretend to, who seperate from the Church, it may be justly suspected that too many of them are but like them, Iude 19. These be they who seperate themselves, sensual (or annimal) not having the Spirit. So it was in the days of the Apostles, that some on higher pre­tences to Spirituality did seperate from the Christian Assem­blies gathered by the Ministry of the holy Apostles, and so did the Donatists of old. So far as any seperate from the Church of Christ, which is his Body, in so far they seperate from Christ, who is the Head of the Body, and from Fellow­ship with and in the Spirit of Christ; for the Fellowship of the Members of the Church stands not only in the outward [Page 12] means of Grace, such as the Word, Prayer and Sacraments ▪ but by and through them, as Pipes and Conduits, their fel­lowship is in the Spirit, and of the Spirit, according to Phil. 2.1, 2. whereby they are knit together, and are of one heart, and of one Soul, and Mind, and mutually partake of one anothers Sufferings and Comforts; and where Brethren dwell together in Vnity, it is like the precious Oyntment upon the Head, that ran down upon the Beard, even Aarons Beard, that went down to the Skirts of his Garments, as the Dew of Hermon, and as the Dew that descended upon the Mountains of Sion, for there the Lord commanded the Blessing, even Life forever more, Psal. 133. and who are gathered together in his Name, have the Promise of Christ to be present in the midst of them; and what they agree to ask in his Name, according to his Will, he hath promised that it shall be done for them, of his Father which is in Heaven, Mat. 18.19, 20. But this gives no encourage­ment to such as meet together in seperated Societies, not only by forsaking the publick Assemblies of the Church, but by an uncharitable Alienation of their Minds and Affections from them, upon a pretence that they find not that inward Comfort and sence of Christs spiritual Presence in those As­semblies, not considering that the Cause of this is in them­selves, through some ignorant Prejudice or distate, begot in them by wrong Education or the deceitful insinuation of false Teachers, which greatly abound; for, God be praised, such who have no such prejudice against the Church, but are joyned with her in hearty Affection, do find true inward Comfort, and have that true inward sense of Christs spiritual Presence, that their Souls desire, which many that boast so much of their spiritual Attainments above others, have not in reality, but in strong Fancy and Imagination, and in coun­terfeit Likenesses & Resemblances, and which are frequently Impostures and Delusions of Satan, but no true divine En­joyments, [Page 13] while neither the Faith nor Practice of such high and proud Boasters are agreeable to the Rule of Gods holy Word delivered to us in the holy Scriptures, but contrary thereunto; and that of many such high Pretenders, in the great Fundamentals of the Gospel, their contrariety is evi­dent both from their Words and Writings. Nevertheless, it is owned, that it pleaseth God, at times, to visit such erring Souls with gracious inward Visitations of his Love, by his good Spirit, that have a sensible comfort and sweetness in them, which those erring Souls so far mis-apply and mis-construe, as to take them for Seals of the holy Spirit, given to confirm them in their way, whereas to the plain contrary it is to reclaim and recover them from their Error. For whatever Comforts or Enjoyments erronious Persons pretend to, whether real or imaginary and delusory, they can be no Seals to confirm or assure them that they are in the right, suppose they had something of reality in them, because Thousands of contrary Perswasions, who are extream hot one against another, have laid claim to them, and made them Seals to confirm them, as if their way was the very way of Truth; yea, obstinate Iews and Mahumetans have laid claim to great divine enjoyments, and applyed them as Seals to confirm them in their Way, and so have some bloody Ra­villac's, professing themselves to be Christians; which ought to be a warning to all, who pretend to divine Comforts and Enjoyments, well and duly to try and examine whether their Faith and Practice be according to the sure Rule of Gods holy Word, delivered by his holy Prophets & Apostles, in the holy Scriptures. He that knoweth God heareth us, he that is not of God, heareth not us, [i. e. heareth not our Do­ctrine, so as to believe and obey it] hereby know we the Spirit of Truth, and the Spirit of Error, said the Apostle St. Iohn, chap. 1.4, 6.

[Page 14]As the Church of England has the Preference above all that dissent from her [so as to with-draw from her Commu­nion] in the several Contents of the Text, so praised be God, in the Number of hearty and sincere Professors of Christian Religion, sealed by Holiness and Righteousness of Life, in all godly Conversation, and in eminency of divine Gifts of Knowledge, both in Teachers and others, as the many excellent Books of Divinity, published by them, do prove, which many Dissenters use, & profess to reap benefit by them; also, she excells them in that most excellent virtue of Charity and charitable Temper and Judgment towards all other parts of the Catholick Church, whereof she esteems her self but a part.

It is no ground of Seperation from the Church of England, that too many who profess to be of her Communion, do not walk answerable to that holy Profession; for what Society or Body of People is there upon Earth, or ever was for any considerable time, but had too many whose walk and conversation did not agree to the holy Profession of Christi­anity: It was so in the very days of the Apostles, as is evident in many places of the New Testament, and parti­cularly in the Churches of Corinth, Galatia and Thessalonia, and most of the seven Churches that St. Iohn writ his seven Epistles unto; and to prevent the scandal of such, our Sa­viour himself gave warning, That in the visible Church, which he calls the Kingdom of Heaven, there will be foolish Virgins and wise, Tares and good Seed until the Harvest, which is the end of the World; and yet neither Christ nor his Apostles bid them seperate from the Church Assemblies, nor gave them any such Example, but the contrary. Nor did the Prophets seperate from the Iewish Worship, when the matter of their Worship was sound, though the lives of many that came to worship, were vicious, both of Priests and People.

[Page 15]Besides, many that come frequently to Sermons and to the publick Prayers of the Church▪ [tho' baptized Persons] are not properly Members of the Church. Indeed, none can be justly so esteemed but such as are free from all habitual and scandalous sins, and in full Communion with the Church, and joyn in frequent Communion with her, in the participa­tion of the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper. One great end and use thereof being to signifie their abiding in the Com­munion of the Church, who receive it, as also nourish and increase, in those who duly receive it, all Christian Graces and Virtues, and that in a special manner and degree; for though Baptism doth initiate such as are baptized into the Church, yet if these baptized Persons, after Baptism, with­draw from the Communion, their Baptism is no proof that they are still in the Church, after their with-drawing from her; and though upon their return to the Church they need not a new Baptism, yet they need a new Repentance, for their sinful and unwarrantable Seperation; and the same is to be said of them whose Lives are scandalous, though they have been baptized in the Church.

Secondly, The above-mentioned Contents in the Text do concern another sort of men, who profess to be in Com­munion with the Church, That they well and duly try and examine themselves, both as to their outward Conversation in the sight of men, and their inward Conversation in the sight of God, so as to have (Acts 24.16.) a Conscience void of Offence both towards God and Men; for as the Psalmist saith, If I regard Iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me, Psal. 66.18. It is the heart which God chiefly requires & regards in all our Approaches to him and Performances, whether at the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper, or at any other Times.

Our blessed Saviour has taught us▪ in the Parable of the [Page 16] Ten Virgins, that we must not only have the Lamp of an outward Profession, but we must also have the inward Oyl of Grace in our Lamps and Vessels [i. e. the divine Vnction] that our Lamps may burn and shine with light of good Works.

God Almighty complained by his holy Prophet Ieremiah, of Old, against the People of Israel, whom yet he called his People, being so by Profession, and by many peculiar Bonds and Tyes of his Favour, That they had committed two great Evils, Ier. 2.13. They have forsaken me the fountain of living Waters, That's the first; and the next was, That they had hewed them out Cisterns, broken Cisterns that can hold no Water. But how doth this appear to be two Evils? I Answer thus; Whoever worship God in any external Forms and ways con­trary to his Revealed Will in holy Scripture, they commit this second great evil, as well as the first; for all Forms and Ways of Worship, contrary to the revealed Will of God in holy Scripture, are but broken Cisterns of mens hewing out and framing, according to their earthly Wisdom, that will hold no Water; and of this the People of Israel were greatly guilty very often, as well as many are at this day under a Christian Profession. But with this the Church of England is not chargeable, however some in their ignorance and pre­judice so charge her. Some few Circumstances and Rites (neither commanded nor forbidden by God Almighty in Scripture) enjoyned by Superiors both in Church and State, (for Order and Decency, and for Edification) are not broken Cisterns; for such were used both by the Iewish Church and the Christian, without any Offence to God Almighty; and the Dissenters from the Church use divers, that they think useful, tho' not commanded; but the changing the Worship of God in any substantial part of it, or any wise contrary to Gods revealed Will in holy Scripture, is certainly to make [Page 17] broken Cisterns that will hold no Water. But there are too many under the Christian Profession, in all Societies of Pro­fessors of Christianity, who though they be not guilty of the second evil, viz. of hewing out or using broken Cisterns, i. e. false ways and forms of Worship, but hold to the true Form, yet inwardly and secretly, in heart, depart from God the Fountain of living Waters, and do not cleave to him with their hearts by a lively faith and cordial love and affection to him, and to his holy ways; but though they be free of outward Idolatry, set up secret Idols in their hearts, loving Pleasures more than God, adoring the Worlds Trinity, The Lust of the Eye, The Lust of the Flesh, and The Pride of Life; And tho' such partake of the outward Elements of the Lords Supper, yet they neither do nor can, while such, partake of the inward and invisible Graces, which all sincere Christians do partake of, to whom the Bread that is broken, is the Com­munion of the Body of Christ, and the Cup that is drunk, is the Communion of his Blood, with all the spiritual Blessings thereof; so that as they drink into one outward Cup, they also drink into one Spirit, according to 1 Cor. 12.13. for as the Idolatrous Heathens, who sacrificed to Devils, and did eat of the Meat Offerings, and drink of the Drink Offerings, that they offered to them, had fellowship with Devils, or (accor­ding to the Greek) were Partakers of Devils, i. e. were in­spired and influenced by them, by means of what they did eat and drink of those Sacrifices, as appears from 1 Cor. 10.20. The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to Devils, and not to God; and I would not that ye should have fellowship with Devils, that is, be inspired and influenced by them, as the Heathens were at their Idolatrous Feasts. So, (as St. Paul shews) the faithful, who did eat of the Bread, and drink of the Wine, in the Lords Supper, were partakers, not only of Christs Body and Blood, by faith, but were par­takers [Page 18] of his Spirit thereby, more abundantly, as the Iews under the Old Testament, which did eat of the Sacrifices, were partakers of the Altar, 1 Cor. 10.18. Behold (said St. Paul) Israel after the Flesh, are not they which eat of the Sa­crifices, partakers of the Altar? And how were they par­takers of the Altar, but by receiving the spiritual Blessings promised of God, conveyed by means of those Sacrifices, which were offered by a lively faith in him that was signified by those Sacrifices; and their eating of those Sacrifices being a means of conveying those spiritual Blessings unto them, which were not only Remission of Sin by the Body & Blood of Christ (whereof those Sacrifices were the Types) but also divine inward Communications of the Spirit of Christ, divine Inspirations and Influences of the same, conveyed by means of what they did eat of those Sacrifices, as St. Paul doth plainly hold forth the parrallel betwixt the Iews partaking of their Altar under the Old Testament, and the Christians partaking of a more excellent Altar under the New-Testament, in the participation of the Lords Supper, as is also further illustrated, Heb. 13.10. We (i. e. we Christians) have an Altar, whereof they have no right to eat, which serve the Tabernacle. And who were these which had no right to eat, who serve the Tabernacle, but the unbelieving Iews and Priests, who did keep up the Service of the Tabernacle, after Christ (the great and only Propitiatory Sacrifice) was come and offered up, who did put an end to those Typical Sacrifices, which had their service in their Day and Time.

Thus we plainly see from St. Paul's Doctrine, that as the Heathens Sacrifices did defile them who did eat of them, and the Iews Sacrifices were a means to sanctifie them, who did eat thereof, and had a lively Faith in Christ Jesus, whom they did represent in Types and Figures; So the the Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper, that the faithful eat and drink of▪ [Page 19] are a means of their Sanctification, whereby they drink into one Spirit, 1 Cor. 12.13. And therefore the gloss of such who bring an argument against the Spiritual Benefit and Profitableness of the Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper, from our Saviour's words concerning common Meats, That what entereth in at the Mouth defileth not the Man, As the Quaker-Tea­chers commonly argue both in their Books and Preach­ings. & consequently nothing that entereth in at the Mouth doth or can be a means to sanctifie him▪ no, not the Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper, Is a most perverse wresting of our Saviours words, and a most illogical Consequence to argue from common Bread and Wine, to the Sacramental, and is evidently con­tradictory to St. Pauls discourse in the places above-men­tioned, 1 Cor. 10.18, 20. and Heb. 13.10. also to 1 Cor. 10.16, 21. and also to our blessed Saviour's words, Luke 22.19, 20. And if nothing that entereth in at the Mouth defileth the Man, in any case, then St. Paul's Assertions were false, That the Idolatrous Heathens by eating of their idolatrous Sacrifices, had fellowship with Devils, and were defiled by that eating. Also, when St. Paul said, That whosoever eateth this Bread (viz. in the holy Sacrament) and drinketh this Cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord; for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh Damnation [or Judgment, Gr.] to himself, 1 Cor. 11 27, 29. and to be sure that greatly hurteth him that so doth. And here let it be noted, That St. Paul calls it the Table of the Lord, and The Cup of the Lord, even when Un­worthy Persons eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup unworthily. And it is altogether false, & a wicked Assertion of those false Teachers, who affirm, That when some vicious Persons do, at times, presume to come to the Table in the Sacrament (where the good Discipline according to the [Page 20] Canons of the Church, is not so duly practised (and who by the said Discipline ought not to be suffered to come) that therefore the Table is the Table of Devils, and the Cup is the Cup of Devils; for though such want of Discipline was in the Church of Corinth, that unworthy Persons did partake of the Elements as the worthy did, yet St. Paul for all that calls it The Table of the Lord and The Cup of the Lord. Of which, that we may all Worthily partake, God Almighty grant for the Merits of Jesus Christ, To whom, &c.