credibility; and that it's Doctrines cannot be true, unless the proofs of it be falfe? For my part, I ever thought the belief of Christianity moft highly reasonable but if it requir'd us to believe Tranfubftantiation, or any thing elfe which deftroies the certainty of our Senfes; I cou'd not but think it extremely abfurd and unaccountable.

2. I defire them to confider, that if the Scriptures did teach it, we muft renounce the Scri-ptures themselves; it being evidently contrary to the Teftimony of our Senfes, and a thing which God cannot command; as I have already prov'd. Wherefore I defire our Adverfaries to do one of these two things; either to fhew that Tranfubftantiation is not repugnant to our Senfes; or elfe to prove that we may, and ought to receive the Scriptures upon the teftimony of thofe Miracles, which are appeals to our Senfes, altho' the evidence of our Senfes be not alwaies certain. But I defpair of their fuccefs in either of thefe undertakings.

3. That the holy Scriptures do not teach this Doctrin, as they pretend. And this I fhall make appear by examining thofe places, in which they think it is taught. This I fhall do in fome following Chapters.

CHAP.

CHA P. IV.

That the Sixth Chapter of St. John's Gospel do's not relate to the Lord's Supper.

F

IRST then, they produce the Sixth Chapter of St. John, where our Savior speaks of his being the Bread of Life, and that the Bread which he will give is his Flesh, and that whofoever eateth his Flesh and drinketh his Bloud, bath eternal life. From hence they conclude, that fince thefe expreffions do relate to the Eucharift, and are to be taken in a literal sense; therefore in the participation of that Sacrament we do eat the real Body and drink the real Bloud of Chrift. Whereas I fhall fhew, 1. That thefe paffages do not relate to the Lord's Supper. 2. That altho' they did relate to the Lord's Supper, yet they are not to be understood in a literal fenfe. 3. That tho' they did relate to the Lord's Supper,and were to be understood in a literal fense; yet they do not prove the Doctrin of Tranfubftantiation, but directly contrary.

First, I fay, thefe paffages do not relate to the Lord's Supper, as will appear by the following Paraphrafe of the greateft part of that Chapter. We read that our Savior Chrift had fed a great multitude with five barley loaves and two fmall fishes, from verfe the 5th to the

14. Then thofe Men, when they had feen the Miracle which Jefus did, faid, this is of a truth that Prophet, which was to come into the world, to deliver us from the Hands of our Enemies, and redeem the Nation from their prefent flavery under the Roman yoke. Is. When

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15. When Jefus therefore perceiv'd that they wou'd come and take him by force to make him a King, because they expected he wou'd prove a mighty conqueror, and set them at liberty, be, being refolv'd against any temporal greatnefs, departed again to a mountain himself alone, and went over the Sea. But when the Multitude had found him again,

26. Jefus anfwer'd them and faid, Verily, verily, I Say unto you, ye feek me not because ye faw the Miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were fill'd. You do not follow me to see the works that I do, and to receive convincing evidence of my being the true Meffiab; but to gain a little prefent advantage by me, in living upon this miraculous food.

Then he reproves their earthly-mindedness, and advises them rather to feek for those things which wou'd make them happy in the World to come. Now as in his Converfation with the Woman of Samaria, he took an occafion from her drawing of Water, to carry on his difcourfe under the allegory of Water, John 4. fo in the cafe before us, because the difcourfe was occafion'd by the Loaves, he carries it on under the allegory of eating and drinking, calling the Doctrin of the Gospel by the Names of Bread and Drink. And because our whole Religion is built upon the great truths of our Savior's incarnation and death, which he calls his Flesh and Bloud; therefore he speaks of the belief of those things under the term of eating his Flesh and drinking his Bloud; by which fort of food they were to be made immortal in glory. Let me intreat you, faies he, not to beftow all your pains upon this tranfitory World, and the trifling concerns of it,

27. La

27. Labor not for the Meat which perisheth, but for that Meat which endureth to everlasting life even that Heavenly Doctrin, which the Son of Man fhall give unto you; For him bath God the Father fealed for a true Prophet, by giving him a power of working Miracles among you.

28. Then faid they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Thofe works, we mean, which are acceptable and well pleafing to him.

29. Jefus answer'd and faid unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he bath fent, even on me who am a Prophet fent from Heaven.

30. They said therefore unto him, What fign fheweft thou then, that we may fee, and believe thee? What doft thou work to convince us that thou didst truly come from Heaven? 'Tis true, thou haft lately fed above five, thoufand of us; but what is this Miracle, if compar'd with what Mofes did? He fed a vaftly greater multitude; and that in the Defert too, and for the space of no less than forty years. For

31. Our fathers did eat Manna in the defert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Do thou therefore perform fomething equal to that great Miracle of his.

32. Then Jefus faid unto them, Verily, verily I Say unto you, Mofes gave you not that bread from heaven, which I fhall give you. He gave you indeed fome Meat to fuftain your mortal lives: but now my father giveth you the true bread from heaven, even me, who am come to inftruct you in holiness, that you may enjoy eternal happinefs.

33. For the Bread of God which he now giveth you,

is be that cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

Now the Jews who are apt to understand him in the groffer fenfe, thought that our Savior promis'd them fuch food for their bodies, as wou'd not fuffer them to die, as those who ate the Manna dy'd, but make them live for ever, or at leaft to a great Age. Wherefore

34. Then faid they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. For if thou canft give us fuch bread, without doubt thou canst not only equal, but alfo exceed the deeds of Mofes ; and we must then acknowledge that thou art a true Prophet fent from God.

35. And Jefus faid unto them, I am the bread of life He that cometh to me, shall never hunger, and be that believeth in me fhall never thirst: For I fhall fo perfectly inftruct him in the paths of Godliness, and give him fo clear a knowledge of his duty, that he fhall want no other directions. My Precepts fhall make him perfectly full of thofe qualities which fit him for heaven, and he need not hunger and thirst after other fpiritual food.

36. But, whereas you require a fign that you may believe me to be a true Prophet, and receive inftructions and obey them, I do now fay again,what heretofore I faid unto you, viz. that ye alfo as well as many others, have feen me working figns and wonders, and yet you believe not. believe not. Wherefore 'tis in vain to be at the expence of more Miracles; you have had what was enough to affure you of the truth of my Miffion; and I do not think my felf oblig'd to bring as many proofs, as fome obftinate Perfons are refolv'd to ask for. However, tho' you defpife or withstand me, yet there are others who believe and follow me. For